Cucumber Salad Recipe – This refreshing cucumber salad is a great side dish for any meal – chicken, beef, pork, fish, or vegetables! A longtime family favorite, Cucumber Onion Salad is ready in minutes and full of flavor!
Cucumber Salad is one of those salad recipes that I’m not sure who in the world invented it, but it is pretty much served in just every Southern household I’ve visited. Sometimes known as Cucumber Onion Salad, it is a timeless classic and makes a delicious, versatile side dish.
Cucumber Salad Recipe
So quick and easy to make, this cucumber salad comes together in about 10-15 minutes and is perfect for serving right away or storing away in the refrigerator to marinate in the simple dressing to just become even more delicious!
To make it, you’ll want to start with fresh cucumbers. For the cucumbers, you can use whatever type you prefer. My family has always used fresh cucumbers straight from the garden that they’ve peeled and sliced. But if you prefer a cucumber with fewer seeds, you might like to use an English cucumber instead.
If you are using onions, you’ll want to make sure to have your onion peeled and then slice it into thin slices and add to the cucumber.
Next, you’ll mix together your simple dressing for the salad that just uses a few simple ingredients. Add your vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, and water to a large liquid measuring cup or bowl. Whisk until it is well combined and then pour the dressing over the salad.
You can now serve it or cover and refrigerate overnight for the cucumbers to marinate in the dressing even more!
What Do You Serve With Cucumber Salad?
Cucumber salad makes a great side dish it is so light and refreshing! We love to have it with just about anything, but especially love it with grilled chicken, BBQ ribs, pulled pork, and even a pimento cheese sandwich!
It comes together with just a few simple ingredients and is perfect to make for weeknight meals, picnics, bbqs, or even bringing along to family reunions.
Families make this Cucumber Onion Salad in several different ways – from using apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar, only using small pickling cucumbers instead of English, adding in diced tomatoes (Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad), and adjusting the vinegar dressing to their taste.
Here’s our quick recipe for this Cucumber Onion Salad. I think you’ll love it!
Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
- sweet onion
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Place cucumber slices into large bowl. Cut Vidalia onion into long thin strips and add to the bowl.
- In 2-cup measuring cup, add vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and water. Mix well with a fork and pour over cucumber and onions. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator at least an hour before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
How would it be with red wine vinegar or such?
Should be fine to use red wine vinegar but you may notice that the vegetables discolor a bit from the red wine vinegar.
I have no idea where the poster/author got the idea that this is a “Southern” thing. My Grandma and my Mom made this every summer all summer long. In Minnesota. Which is about as not Southern as you can get. I’ve also eaten this or variations on this salad in the Middle East, Europe (and Great Britain) and Australia.
There’s something about the South (which is where I live now and love it and the people who live here) that makes Southerners think that if they do, make, or eat something it must therefor be “Southern”. That’s OK, I love them anyway.
I had a bumper crop of cukes in my garden and a hankering for this particular salad that I have so much “history” with so I went looking for a recipe that seamed somewhere in the vicinity of what Grandma and Mom used to make. This looks like it or close enough. So thank you very much to this Southern person for this not-necessarily Southern recipe.
This stuff is better the longer it sits in the sauce so I’m making it tonight to go with my country style ribs and tater tots tomorrow night.
Thanks again for the recipe.
Scott,
I hope this recipe is close to the one your Mom and Grandma use to make. Like I said in my post, I’m not sure where this recipe originally came from but I grew up with my Grandmother making it. I love those old recipes my grandmother used to make, too.
My Mom used to make this all the time and my family is from Germany. My ex husband never heard of it and he grew up in the south. I never knew it was considered a southern recipe.
My mom made this every summer. I have made it a few times, basically the way as these recipes.Maybe not with the same quanities.Always good. Sometimes teal good.
We have a garden full of spring onions right now that would be so good in this. Take away the garlic and this whole bowl is mine! You know I’m pinning it!
My mom was from Germany and made this every summer, but added chopped fresh dill, dried dill if none available. She’d change it up and use sour cream.
This needs updated – should be 5 minute prep 1:05 total
My mom makes another version of this cucumber salad. We call it “Sour Cream and Cucumbers.” It makes a delightful summer salad, perfect for any BBQ.
My German Grandma used to make this with sour cream also. Plus she used to do the same with warm green beans.Â
Just made this from another recipe without salt. I also added more liquid without compensating for sugar. Would it work to drain of liquid and add a little salt and sugar and marinate more. My salad is currently 8 hours old.
I’m going to try this today, I picked my first cucumber today from my garden. I like the comment from Mika adding the peppers as well.