Light and refreshing, this cucumber salad is the perfect side dish for any occasion, from picnics to potlucks. It’s an easy recipe that comes together with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It only takes a couple of minutes to make, and then you can keep it chilled until ready to serve. It’s my go-to fresh and tangy salad whenever I need something last minute.
Always a crowd-pleaser, I make this cucumber salad all summer long. It’s crunchy and cool, so it’s perfect on a hot day while grilling. It goes especially well with my Mediterranean grilled chicken, carne asada, and Hawaiian chicken skewers. Make it for your next barbeque and watch it disappear quickly!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Cucumber — I recommend using English cucumbers as the skin is thinner and doesn’t require peeling. They taste milder and sweeter than other cucumbers and tend to be seedless. Smaller Persian cucumbers are a great alternative if you cannot find English cucumbers.
- Onion — Red onions add a nice pop of color to the cucumber salad. I like red onions for their texture, and when raw, they have a slight spiciness to them.
- Red Wine Vinegar — This adds a delicious tanginess to the salad and a hint of sweetness.
- Dill — I strongly recommend using fresh dill for this salad for its fresh, citrus-like taste. If you have dill with thin, tender stems, you can roughly chop them up along with the leaves to add to the salad.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
Step 1: In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar, salt, and red wine vinegar. Whisk until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Step 2: Slice the cucumbers as uniformly as possible.
Step 3: Thinly slice the red onion.
Step 4: Add the cucumber slices and the vinegar mixture in a medium bowl. Toss to combine.
Step 5: Add the red onions and toss again.
Step 6: Finish off with the chopped dill. Toss to combine, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve cold.
Tips For This Recipe
- If red onions taste too sharp, you can soak them in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Soaking them can help mellow out the flavor and increase the crispness.
- Before making the salad, I recommend taste-testing the cucumbers. The older the cucumber, the more bitter it’ll taste. If they taste bitter and there are seeds, scrape them out and soak the sliced cucumber in some salted water to help offset the bitterness.
- I recommend using a mandoline slicer as it’ll quickly give you thin, uniform slices.
- The sugar helps balance out the acidity of the red wine vinegar. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
- If you do not have a red onion, you can swap in a white or sweet onion. I would not suggest using yellow onion.
- Do not leave the cucumber salad out for too long. The sliced cucumbers will lose their crispiness when left at room temperature. Place the salad back into the fridge if you are done enjoying it.
- Some cucumbers have thick and waxy skin. I recommend peeling those cucumbers before using them as they can taste tough and bitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer fresh dill but if you only have dried dill, use 1 teaspoon of dried dill to replace 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
If you do not have dill, you can swap in basil, parsley, or any other fresh herbs you have on hand.
When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this recipe will keep for around 3 days. The longer you keep it, the more watery it’ll become.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Cucumber Salad Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb English cucumbers sliced thin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ large red onion sliced thin
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar, salt, and red wine vinegar. Whisk until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- In a medium bowl, add the cucumber slices and the vinegar mixture. Toss to combine. Then add the onion and chopped dill, toss again to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve cold.
Video
Notes
- If red onions taste too sharp, you can soak them in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Soaking them can help mellow out the flavor and increase the crispness.
- Before making the salad, I recommend taste-testing the cucumbers. The older the cucumber, the more bitter it’ll taste. If they taste bitter and there are seeds, scrape them out and soak the sliced cucumber in some salted water to help offset the bitterness.
- I recommend using a mandoline slicer as it’ll quickly give you thin, uniform slices.
- The sugar helps balance out the acidity of the red wine vinegar. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
- If you do not have a red onion, you can swap in a white or sweet onion. I would not suggest using yellow onion.
- Do not leave the cucumber salad out for too long. The sliced cucumbers will lose their crispiness when left at room temperature. Place the salad back into the fridge if you are done enjoying it.
- Some cucumbers have thick and waxy skin. I recommend peeling those cucumbers before using them as they can taste tough and bitter.
I love your recipes. And the mandolins you used in this recipe looks excellent. Can you post a link where to buy it?
Hi Dina- Here you go: https://a.co/d/dAqMCXu