This Quick and Easy Cucumber Salad recipe is one of my favorite recipes that I have been enjoying for over 30 years. Toss thinly sliced cucumbers and onion in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette and it’s perfect for a warm summer day. It’s a delicious side for about anything you put on the grill – chicken, fish, and steak.
Cucumber Salad is a total staple of all salads and the first recipe I added to my food blog! It is extremely easy to make, and it takes only about 15 -20 minutes to put together.
Even though this cucumber salad is quick and easy, it is packed with flavor. The sweet and tangy dressing brings all the delicious and refreshing flavor of the marinated cucumbers.
If you like this salad you will love my Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber.
CUCUMBERS!
I prefer English cucumbers because they have more flavor and less seeds and a perfect match for this recipe. If you don’t have access to English cucumbers, you can use regular seedless or regular cucumbers. Since they are smaller, you will need to double the amount that you use.
This recipe calls for “sweating” the cucumbers. To sweat a vegetable, you use salt to draw out excess moisture. This will ensure you don’t end up with extra liquids from the cucumber, which have a high volume of water content.
ONIONS!
Not only for the pop of color, but red onions are also perfect for eating raw. I love them, YUMMY! Be sure to slice them as thinly as you can. If you don’t have a red onion, you can use a white onion, but not so much.
FRESH DILL!
My secret to the perfect quick and easy cucumber salad recipe is fresh dill. If you can’t find fresh dill, you can use dried dill.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other salad recipes:
HOT TIP: Feel free to use a mandoline slicer to cut the cucumbers and onions in this recipe for razor thin even slicing.
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 5 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
INGREDIENTS
1 red onion thinly sliced 2 English cucumbers thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh dill minced
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl season cucumbers with salt and let sweat for 1 hour. Drain liquids and toss cucumbers with onion slices.
- In a small saucepan over high heat, pour in white vinegar and water and stir in sugar until dissolved and liquid turns clear, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour over cucumbers and onions.
- Stir in the dill.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
QUICK AND EASY CUCUMBER SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- ½ cup Water
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Fresh Dill minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl season cucumbers with salt and let sweat for 1 hour.
- Drain liquids and toss cucumbers with onion slices.
- In a small saucepan over high heat, pour in white vinegar and water and stir in sugar until dissolved and liquid turns clear, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour over cucumbers and onions.
- Stir in the dill.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
Have you tried making this recipe?
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This salad is one of my favorites because it’s so easy and everyone loves it. Perfect for a light snack too.
LOVE IT! This is a keeper.
This cucumber salad recipe is delicious and simple to make! Thanks!
It was just like my mom made it!! I never could get it exactly like hers, but this was on point!!
Simple, quick, and delicious!
Very good cucumber salad – just what I needed to as a side dish for grilled chicken. I
Delicious and so easy to make!
Great! Super fresh and light. We fight over the leftovers. Quick and easy too.
I love fresh cucumber salad. I usually make a big one and have leftovers for later in the week. It just keeps getting better and better.
I tried this last night and it was truly amazing!