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Cucumber Salad – easy & delicious!

5
/5
1 hr 15 mins
16 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 07/21/2021Updated: 05/16/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Cucumbers and onions, text overlay reads "cucumber onion salad."
Cucumbers and onions, text overlay reads "easy cucumber onion salad."
Cucumbers and onions, text overlay reads "the best cucumber onion salad."
Cucumbers and onions, text overlay reads "easy cucumber onion salad."

Basically a quick pickle, this old-fashioned cucumber onion salad is a delicious low calorie salad that can be made ahead. Try it as a side or even on a sandwich!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: This salad is easy, inexpensive to make, versatile and delicious!

How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife or mandoline, mixing bowl, measuring utensils
Servings: 4

Overhead view of sliced cucumbers and onions in a clear glass bowl.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About This Cucumber Salad
  • 3 What You’ll Need
  • 4 How To Make Cucumber Onion Salad
  • 5 Like quick pickles?
  • 6 FAQs
  • 7 Make It Your Own
  • 8 Make-Ahead Ideas and Storage
  • 9 More Cucumber Recipes
  • 10 Get the Recipe: Cucumber Onion Salad

Thinly sliced cucumbers and onions are marinated in a simple vinegar dressing and topped with aromatic fresh dill in this very uncomplicated salad. With just five ingredients (not counting salt, pepper, and water), cucumber onion salad is flavorful, versatile, and so, so easy.

While you may have cucumbers aplenty growing in your garden right now, this salad really is great for any time of the year. Cucumbers are always available and quite inexpensive.

In the hot months of summer, cucumber salad tastes great alongside grilled chicken or steak. It’s refreshingly tangy and light, with no oil added. If you have a nice ripe tomato, slice it and top each slice with an artfully arranged spoonful of cucumber and onion salad for a simple low calorie salad.

When winter rolls around, this salad is perfect with heavier stews or roasts. Its vinegary tang complements rich meats like short ribs or pot roasts.

And in any season, enjoy it as a topping on bun sandwiches. A few slices add a nice crisp bite to pulled pork, burgers, or Cuban sandwiches. Vegetarian? Try this salad on a homemade black bean burger.

With so many uses, you’ll always want to have a bowl of this salad in your fridge.

Jar filled with sliced cucumbers and onions in a brine.

About This Cucumber Salad

This recipe may remind you of the old-fashioned cucumber and onions in vinegar that your grandma may have served. Quite honestly, this recipe has been around for awhile and different versions can be found in many cultures.

To help you get started, I’ll run through the recipe here and give you a few tips.

You’ll find a printable recipe card with measurements, directions, and notes at the end of the post.

What You’ll Need

  • Cucumber: Look for a tender-skinned variety such as English cucumbers, hot-house, seedless, or Persian. If you use a thicker skinned cucumber, you’ll want to peel it and remove some of the seeds, which can be bitter and tend to water the salad down.
  • Onion: Any type of onion will work but sweet onions won’t overpower your salad. Red onions are also good.
  • Vinegar: Plain ol’ white distilled vinegar is all you need. Other types of vinegar such as apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar may be used but they will change the flavor of this salad.
  • Dill: Fresh dill adds so much piquant flavor, there’s really nothing like it. If fresh isn’t an option, substitute dried dill but only use 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons of fresh. I don’t really measure the dill too carefully — I love it so much, the more the better!
  • Sugar, Salt, Pepper: Simple seasonings that round out the marinade, they’re basic but essential.
Overhead view of ingredients needed for recipe: cucumber, dill, onion, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar.

How To Make Cucumber Onion Salad

Begin by prepping the cucumber and onion. Wash, dry, and trim the ends of both. With a sharp knife, very thinly slice the cucumber and onion. A mandoline makes really quick work of this if you have one. Just be careful of your fingers.

Really, the thickness of the slices is totally personal. Some people prefer thin slices, others thicker slices. Thinner slices do absorb more of the marinade.

Next, mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough to contain the salad. Doing it this way saves you a dirty dish! Whisk the marinade until the sugar and salt are mostly dissolved.

Dressing for cucumber salad in a small bowl.

Add the cucumber and onion slices to the marinade.

Cucumbers and sliced onions in a large glass mixing bowl.

Stir well, cover and refrigerate for an hour or so. Stir in dill before serving, and your salad is ready to serve!

Overhead view of cucumbers and onions in a small glass jar.

Serving tip: If you’re not plating the salad, I like to scoop the salad out of the marinade and put just the cucumber and onions slices into a serving bowl.

Like quick pickles?

Cucumbers and onions aren’t the only vegetables that can be “quick pickled.” You don’t need a canner to make refrigerator pickles.

Try:

  • Pickled Cauliflower
  • Pickled Red Onions
  • Pickled Green Beans
  • Pickled Vegetables
  • Pickled Asparagus Recipe
  • Refrigerator Dill Pickles
  • Quick Pickled Radish Recipe

FAQs

Can cucumbers in vinegar go bad?

This cucumber onion salad will keep about three days in the fridge. Any longer than that and the cucumbers will lose their crispness. Any time you notice mold, cloudiness, or a bad smell, the salad should be discarded immediately.

Should you salt cucumbers?

If you’re used to making canned pickles, you may recall soaking the cucumbers overnight in brine. It helps draw out the excess moisture. This step really isn’t necessary with quick pickles.

Close up view of sliced cucumbers, onions, and fresh dill.

Make It Your Own

  • Replace the dill with a different fresh herb, such as basil, oregano, parsley, mint, or lemon balm. Be adventurous! Different herbs will add a distinctively unique flavor to this simple salad. Combinations of herbs are great, too. My favorite is dill, parsley, and just a few chives.
  • Add thinly sliced radishes or carrots for a more colorful salad.
  • Looking for a creamy cucumber salad? Try this reduced calorie cucumber ribbon salad with yogurt herb dressing.
  • Like things a bit spicier? Try Korean pickles, an easy quick pickle with spicy gochugaru (Korean red pepper) and garlic.

Make-Ahead Ideas and Storage

These marinated cucumber and onion slices are an ideal make-ahead salad. The salad should be made at least 60 minutes before serving but it will keep for three days in the fridge. It actually gets a little better as it marinates. Store it in a tightly covered container.

Store leftover salad in the brine for best results.

More Cucumber Recipes

Barley Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Parsley

Greek Cucumber Noodle Bowls with Turkey Meatballs (Gluten-Free)

Homemade Tzatziki Recipe (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce)

Salad with Apples and Cucumber

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Overhead view of sliced cucumbers and onions in a clear glass bowl.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Cucumber Onion Salad

5 from 7 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Chilling time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
4 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Basically a quick pickle, this old-fashioned cucumber onion salad is a delicious low calorie salad that can be made ahead. Try it as a side or even on a sandwich!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup cup distilled white vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 pound)
  • ½ red or sweet onion, cut into quarters and very thinly sliced (about ⅛-inch thick)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper, until salt and sugar are mostly dissolved. Add cucumber and onion, stir to combine.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 60 minutes, stirring once or twice.
  • When ready to serve, drain liquid, stir in dill, and serve immediately (see note).

Notes

  • If not serving all the cucumbers at once, use a slotted spoon to take out desired portion, leaving the rest in the liquid. 
  • Cucumber onion salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Add thinly sliced radishes and/or carrots for a more colorful salad.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 42kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 878mg, Potassium: 164mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 95IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
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  1. Lucky Perry says

    July 5, 2022 at 11:02 am

    5 stars
    This was a HIT. I made this yesterday for a 4th of July picnic using English cucumbers from my garden. Everyone loved it! It was very easy. I had to adapt the recipe because there were a few seeds in my cucumbers. I striped the outside by peeling it, cutting lengthwise, cored out the seeds, and then sliced them on my mandoline. I also switched up the vinegar with a combination of apple cider, seasoned rice wine, and red wine vinegar. I just used a 1 cup measuring cup and blended them together to make 1 cup. I also topped it with fresh dill and some black sesame seeds.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      July 6, 2022 at 3:26 pm

      So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply
  2. Kay says

    April 11, 2022 at 7:52 pm

    I love salads. Keep them simple and keep them coming please

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      April 18, 2022 at 1:04 pm

      Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  3. Gabriela says

    August 9, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    What an easy and delicious recipe! This made a great side for dinner – I’ll be making it again for sure.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      August 18, 2021 at 11:59 am

      So glad to hear it! I just made it for a get together with friends and people went crazy for it!

      Reply
  4. Aggie says

    October 8, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    Cukes are one of my favorite veggies, so refreshing! I would love this :)

    Reply
  5. JulieD says

    October 2, 2012 at 1:52 pm

    I love this!! Now going to visit Katie for the recipe. :)

    Reply
  6. Kathryn says

    October 2, 2012 at 4:29 am

    This sounds so lovely and fresh.

    Reply
  7. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says

    October 2, 2012 at 12:22 am

    I always need a good cucumber salad recipe on hand! Heading over to check it out!

    Reply
  8. icakepops says

    October 1, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    I love cucumber salad -so refreshing!

    Reply
  9. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says

    October 1, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    I love cucumbers any time of year!

    Reply
  10. Rachael {SimplyFreshCooking} says

    October 1, 2012 at 1:45 pm

    Yum!

    Reply
  11. sarah k @ the pajama chef says

    October 1, 2012 at 11:36 am

    i love cucumbers all year round too!

    Reply
  12. carrian says

    October 1, 2012 at 9:35 am

    Yeah buddy! That sounds awesome. I’d totally eat it year round.

    Reply
  13. DessertForTwo says

    October 1, 2012 at 7:55 am

    I could eat this any time of year!

    Reply

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