Cottage Cheese Salad
Published 8/28/2023 • Updated 3/17/2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This cottage cheese salad is topped with sunflower seeds, fresh veggies and herbs. A delightfully easy and fresh salad perfect for any occasion.
We know what you’re thinking — when you picture a cottage cheese salad, you immediately think of that Jell-o and cottage cheese “salad” so often found in church basement gatherings and served at midwestern holidays.
But this ain’t that salad! This cottage cheese salad starts with a bed of cottage cheese and then is sprinkled with delicious fresh veggies, herbs and sunflower seeds. It’s then finished off to perfection with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper. Simple yet delish!
Cottage Cheese Salad – What You Need
Cheese
- Cottage cheese, of course!
Veggies
- Cucumbers, sliced into half moons
- Halved cherry tomatoes
- Fresh english peas
- Minced red onion
- Chopped fresh dill
- Minced green onion
Nuts & seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Seasonings
- Lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
Easy Ingredient Swaps
Make this cottage cheese recipe your own! Any of the following ingredient swaps would be absolutely delicious:
Cheese: we used 2% cottage cheese, but feel free to use any variety of cottage cheese you’d like!
Veggies: any variety of tomatoes or onion would be an easy swap for the cherry tomatoes, red onion and green onion this recipe calls for.
Nuts & seeds: we love the nutty flavor of sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds or a chopped nut like almonds or pecans would also complement this recipe well.
How to Enjoy this Cottage Cheese Salad
You can absolutely eat this salad with a fork, BUT the dipping options are endless (we’ve been dipping everything we can find in this cheesy salad), and some of our favorites include:
- Toasted slices of French bread
- Crackers
- Tortilla chips
- Pita
- Naan
- Truly anything your heart desires!
Storage Instructions
This cottage cheese salad is best made and served immediately, but if you’re meal prepping or saving for later, we recommend keeping the fresh ingredients on top of the cottage cheese layer.
By avoiding mixing the fresh ingredients into the cottage cheese layer, you will keep the gorgeous look of this salad and avoid the dairy separating from the moisture from the veggies.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this cottage cheese salad on its own for a simple appetizer or a light lunch, or pair it with any of the following for a more complete meal:
- Crispy Parmesan Chicken Nuggets
- Easy Pull Apart Bread
- Juicy Grilled Chicken
Cottage Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups 2% cottage cheese
- ½ cup cucumbers, sliced into half moons
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup fresh english peas
- 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons green onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Spread the cottage cheese out of the bottom of a large plate or platter with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle all of the vegetables over the cottage cheese.
- Drizzle the lemon juice over all of the ingredients and then season everything with salt and pepper.
- Enjoy alone or with crackers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #cheeseknees, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
It’s best made and served immediately, but if you’re meal prepping or saving for later, we recommend keeping the fresh ingredients on top of the cottage cheese layer.By avoiding mixing the fresh ingredients into the cottage cheese layer, you will keep the gorgeous look of this salad and avoid the dairy separating from the moisture from the veggies. It will keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours — hope this helps!
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
It’s so yummy!