This quick, easy cucumber salad recipe makes a delicious side dish, and it’s also great for topping sandwiches. Thinly slice crunchy vegetables and marinate them in a flavorful, sweet-and-tangy dressing.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- English cucumbers have thin, tender skins. Keeping the skin intact helps the cucumbers maintain their structure and crisp texture during marination.
- Marinate cucumbers and onions in an acidic vinegar-and-salt solution. Honey balances the pungent taste of the brine.
- Marinate the vegetables for 1 hour to allow the vinegar mixture to infuse and build flavor while keeping the cucumbers crisp.
Featured Comment 9
“I’ve made this salad several times now and it’s absolutely delicious. Very easy to make in no time. I’ve used Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and white vinegar. Both do a good job. Bragg’s has a little more kick to it.”—Larry
Why It Works
Cucumbers make the perfect side dish as they go well with just about any meal. This long-shaped ingredient is high in fiber and moisture, which makes it neutral-tasting, but easy to infuse with new flavors. This recipe includes a simple brine that adds tangy pickling in just one hour!
Marinating the thin-cut cucumber pieces with pungent pickled red onions, vinegar, honey, and salt adds a sweet, tangy pickled taste. The longer the vegetables sit, the tangier they become, making it a great make-ahead dish. Just slice, stir, and soak! It’s a great refreshing summer salad to serve with barbecued meats, or layer a few on top of burgers and pulled pork sandwiches.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cucumbers: Use English cucumbers for this salad recipe. These long, slender gourds can grow up to a foot long, perfect for making a big batch. I like to use them because their skins are tender, and no peeling is required. Keeping the skin on helps retain crispness during marination. Also, the seeds are very small and not pulpy, so you don’t have to remove them.
- Onions: Red onions have a mild pungency and slightly sweet flavor.
- Vinegar: I chose distilled white vinegar for the cleanest, most neutral taste.
- Water: Adding water to the dressing ensures the mixture isn’t too pungent.
- Honey: The honey’s sweetness balances the vinegar’s acidity and tartness.
- Seasoning: Kosher salt and black pepper; brine and season the veggies.
- Herbs: Add fresh dill to the salad right before serving for a grassy, citrusy note.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This refreshing cucumber salad recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Cucumber Options: Use Persian cucumbers or American slicing cucumbers. The latter has a thicker skin; I recommend removing it or peeling off a few sections for a more tender bite.
- Onion Swaps: Use other types of onions like sweet onions, Maui onions, white onions, or shallots.
- Vinegar: The acetic acid in vinegar flavors the vegetables and prevents spoilage for a short time. You can use any types of vinegar to make a cucumber salad. White wine vinegar or unsweetened rice vinegar has a similar profile. If you use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, the taste will be more complex, but it will change the salad’s color to a slightly darker shade.
- Flavoring: Add citrus like lemon juice or lime juice. Add fresh mint or chives instead of dill.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
Step 1: Make Vinegar Dressing
I use a combination of white vinegar, water, honey, salt, and black pepper to soak the cucumbers and onion. It takes about an hour to get a quick-pickle flavor.
Step 2: Slice Vegetables
Cut the cucumbers about 1/8-inch thick. Wafer-thin slices will become too watery and not stay as crunchy. Too thick, and the dressing won’t infuse fast enough if you eat it within an hour of preparation. Use a chef’s knife or a mandoline grater for a fast method to make even slices. Cut the red onions into thin, 1/8-inch thick slices as well.
Step 3: Mix Vegetables & Dressing
Combine the sliced cucumbers and red onions with the vinegar dressing in a large bowl.
Step 4: Chill Salad
This cucumber salad recipe requires a little patience to marinate the vegetables in a vinegar mixture for maximum flavor. Don’t worry – in just an hour, the taste change is noticeable.
Tips for Perfect Results: Stir the vegetables after 30 minutes to ensure even contact with the tangy brine. I keep the salad in the refrigerator during pickling so that the vegetables stay cold and snappy when ready to eat.
Step 5: Drain & Season
Drain the veggies from the vinegar dressing right before serving. Alternatively, if you think there will be any leftovers or you’re making the side dish ahead of time, reserve the dressing to store the salad in.
Step 6: Garnish with Dill & Serve
Add the fresh dill to the cucumber salad and stir to combine. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with more fresh herbs or freshly cracked black pepper. If you like this recipe, try my creamy cucumber salad, cucumber tomato salad, or Asian cucumber salad for a spicy twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make this cucumber salad up to 5 days in advance and store it in the fridge. I recommend transferring it to an airtight container with the dressing. The pickled flavors get stronger each day. However, the cell walls will begin to soften and become more flexible. I find that you still get a little crunch, though, if you have leftovers.
There are many different types of vinegar, and each pairs best with different types of salad – it all depends on the flavor you’re going for. For this cucumber salad, I use white vinegar, which is tangy and pungent. White wine vinegar would be mellower and wouldn’t pickle the vegetables as much. Apple cider vinegar and champagne vinegar would work in a cucumber salad; both are milder, with fruity, mild undertones.
Yes, you absolutely can eat cucumber skin! I find leaving the skin on the sliced cucumbers in this salad gives them more crunch and adds a pop of vibrant green color. Cucumber skin also contains fiber and Vitamin A. Just make sure to thoroughly wash the cucumbers before slicing.
Typically, when pickling, you boil the vinegar mixture first, which helps mellow the vinegar and kills bacteria for long-term preservation and storage. However, since this cucumber salad dish was developed to be served the same day and kept no longer than a week, spoilage isn’t as much of a concern. Plus, I wanted the vinegar to be as potent as possible to flavor the vegetables. Let the ingredients soak for an hour, drain, then toss with fresh dill right before serving.
Serve This With
If you tried this Cucumber Salad Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 pound English cucumber, cut into ⅛-inch thick slices
- 1 cup red onion, cut into ⅛-inch thick slices
Instructions
- Make Vinegar Dressing – In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, honey, salt, and black pepper until the salt is dissolved; some larger grains may remain.
- Slice Vegetables – Cut the cucumbers and red onion into ⅛-inch thick slices.
- Mix Vegetables & Dressing – Add the sliced onions and cucumbers to the vinegar mixture, and stir to combine.
- Chill Salad – Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 60 minutes, stirring halfway through. Refrigerate the salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Drain & Season – Right before serving, drain the vegetables. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired.
- Garnish with Dill & Serve – Stir in the fresh dill, then transfer to a serving bowl.
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 3 cups
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Sweetener substitution: Use granulated sugar or pure maple syrup instead of honey.
- Vinegar substitution: Use white wine, rice wine, or champagne vinegar instead of white vinegar. Apple cider or red wine vinegar can be used but will yield some color change in the vegetable.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Al Smith says
Your tag line “food scientist” was my initial attraction. I’ve continued to follow your recipies via emails I receive without disappointment. I will make this wonderful salad all summer long. Thanks Jessica!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for making the recipe and following along!
Dotster says
Love this recipe, Jessica! Making it Keto by simply omitting a sweetener. Gotta love that tang! 🙂 You’re the best on the ‘net!
Larry Vaught says
I’ve made this salad several times now and it’s absolutely delicious. Very easy to make in no time. I’ve used Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and white vinegar. Both do a good job. Bragg’s has a little more kick to it. Thanks for the great recipe Jessica!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback and for sharing your ingredient insights, Larry!
Michael Eugene Shaner says
Thank you, Jessica!
I tried & enjoyed your recipe yesterday, and I’m so glad I have some left to enjoy today, too!
The tasty brine marinade really transforms this into a flavorful, healthy, and refreshing salad!
Kudos & thanks again for sharing this incredibly tasty recipe!
Jessica Gavin says
The cucumbers get even tastier the next day! Thanks for your feedback Michael, happy cooking!
Wesley Low says
Jessie, I use Persian cucumbers. My brine is white vinegar, wee bit of water, and equal parts salt, sugar, and sambal oelek.
Jessica Gavin says
I love the spicy addition, I’ll have to try that!