This Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe is a frequent summer side dish at our house and is one of our favorite recipes. Thinly sliced cucumbers and red onion are quickly pickled to make an easy salad that is a little sweet and a little tangy.
Cucumber Salad is one of my favorite ways to use up the crunchy cucumbers that just never seem to stop growing during the summer months. It’s basically a bowl of pickles.
This quick cucumber salad is an easy recipe and is a great way to whip up a simple salad that everyone will love. It has such fresh flavors and just screams summer. I could eat a whole bowl by myself.
Cucumber Salad has so many different varieties, all heavily rooted in German ancestry, where it is referred to as Gurkensalat. (Gurken means cucumber, and salat means salad, so cucumber + salad.) Immigrants brought the salad to the United States, where it is now a Southern staple.
There are two different ways to make cucumber salad that you might come across; one is almost pickled with a vinegar sauce, and the other is a creamy cucumber salad made with sour cream.
The version here is the delicious pickled version. Just like in the US, different regions of Germany make their cucumber salad differently, but if you hear Gurkensalat, it more commonly refers to the creamy version.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the best cucumber salad recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh Cucumbers
- Red Onions
- Fresh Dill Weed
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Kosher Salt
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Granulated Sugar
Best Cucumbers for Cucumber Salad
English cucumbers have more flavor and fewer seeds and are my favorite to use. If I can’t find English cucumbers, I use whatever is growing in my garden – regular cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or even pickling cucumbers.
Honestly, this recipe works great with most kinds of cucumbers, but for the best flavor, don’t use cucumbers that are overgrown with huge seeds or overripe cucumbers.
Dried Dill or Fresh Dill
I highly recommend using fresh dill in this recipe. If you can’t find fresh dill, come on over and pick some! But really, you can use dried dill if you need to. You only need to use a small amount of dried dill – it is much more potent than fresh dill and it has a kind of grassy texture that will get on everything – it kind of has an off-putting texture in a fresh cucumber salad.
How to Make Pickled Cucumber Salad
This delicious cucumber salad is a staple at our house because I might be addicted to pickles.
The first step is to peel the cucumbers (if desired.) I like to make stripes on the cucumbers because I love the way the color pops.
Next, finely slice the cucumbers & onions.
Cucumber Slicing Tip
I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer to slice the cucumbers and red onions evenly. It will allow you to cut the slices nice and thin. Be careful of your fingers, though!
Next, you’ll salt them to draw out the moisture. I like to toss the cucumbers in salt, then lay the thin slices of cucumber in layers in a colander over a bowl, then set a bowl or plate on top of the cucumbers to press the moisture out.
Save the liquid that drains out to make cucumber cocktails.
After about an hour has passed, pour off the water and pat down the cucumbers with a clean towel or use a paper towel to remove excess water. (Remember, save the water that drained off for cocktails.)
How to Sweat Cucumbers
This recipe requires you to “sweat” the cucumbers. Sweating the cucumbers means that you are going to use salt to draw out excess liquid. This will allow the cucumbers to absorb more of the pickling liquid so they will be extra flavorful. You can skip this step if you want, but your salad will be a little watery and not as flavorful.
While the cucumbers sit on the towels, heat the vinegar in a small saucepan until it almost boils, then dissolve the sugar in the vinegar quickly.
While the vinegar is still hot, combine the sliced red onions, sliced cucumbers, and dill in a bowl, then pour the vinegar over the cucumbers. Toss to coat the cucumber and onions and wilt the dill.
Let the cucumber salad sit for at least an hour before serving to really pickle the cucumber slices, then enjoy this tangy cucumber salad as a side dish with your favorite summer meal.
It is the perfect salad because the crisp cucumbers become thin, refreshing pickles that still have just the right amount of crunch.
The thinner the cucumber slices are, the faster they will pickle, and the more the salad will taste like pickles.
If you keep the slices thicker, the salad won’t taste as much like a bowl of pickles… but a bowl of pickles is… delicious.
How to Store Vinegar-Based Cucumber Salad
Store cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Because it is lightly pickled, it will stay fresh for longer than its creamy counterpart.
Helpful Tips
- Cucumber peels do not have to be removed – the peel is delicious and great for you but can be a little fibrous. I like to peel it in stripes because it makes the green really pop in the bowl and provides a great presentation. If you buy the cucumbers at the grocery store that have a really waxy peel, those should be peeled. Fresh, farmer’s market cucumbers generally don’t need to be peeled; just cleaned well.
- If you are picking fresh cucumbers from your garden in warm weather but aren’t going to use them immediately, soak them whole for about ten minutes in a big bowl of ice water. The cold water will cool them down and help preserve them for longer.
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Easy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber , thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ small red onion , thinly sliced
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill , minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Slice the onions and cucumbers and chop up the dill.
- Toss the cucumber slices with salt and place them in a colander over a large bowl. Let them sweat for about one hour to draw out excess moisture.1 English cucumber, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Set the cucumber liquid aside, and pat down the cucumbers with a clean towel or paper towel to remove the remaining water.
- In a small saucepan over high heat, combine white vinegar, water, and sugar and heat until just about boiling. Stir until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.½ cup distilled white vinegar, ¼ cup water, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Combine cucumbers, onions, and dill in a bowl, then pour the hot brine over the top.1 English cucumber, ½ small red onion, 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- Mix well, then cover and chill for at least an hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
What to Serve with Marinated Cucumber Salad
Serve your cucumber salad with your favorite summer main dishes. It is the perfect side dish for grilled burgers, Southern fried catfish, barbecue pork chops, deep-fried shrimp, and baby back ribs.
It also goes REALLY well with Mediterranean foods!
