Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe

75 Comments

4.94 from 29 votes
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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 Recipe - This refreshing cucumber salad is a great side dish for any meal - chicken, beef, pork, fish, or vegetables! A longtime family favorite ready in minutes and full of flavor! // addapinch.com

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.

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 ready in minutes and full of flavor! // addapinch.com

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.

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 ready in minutes and full of flavor! // addapinch.com

Here’s our quick recipe for this Cucumber Onion Salad. I think you’ll love it!

Cucumber Salad Recipe

4.94 from 29 votes
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 ready in minutes and full of flavor! 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

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

Calories: 17kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




75 Comments

  1. Ann LaScala says:

    5 stars
    I grew up in CT many years ago, and my mother made cucumber onion salad a lot. I changed it up a bit and put some dried dill into it. Very tasty, but I can hear her now admonishing me for changing her recipe.

  2. Katie Matson says:

    5 stars
    This recipe is awesome! Best one I’ve found yet!

  3. Mary Ziegler says:

    My mother would makes this without garlic and use apple cider vinegar and she was polish. She never measured. Just threw the dressing ingredients together in a jar and adjusted everything to taste. She was polish from Pa. 😊.

  4. Ned says:

    The Army has been serving this to me lately while deployed. I’d never had it before. I am 100% addicted to it now, however, and I’ve been raving about it to my wife, and insisting we make it a part of our regular dining experience upon my return home. I figured it would be fairly easy to make, and quite similar to 3 bean salad, but thank you for the recipe! I’m eager to “make” my wife try it.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I hope you and your wife enjoy it! It’s a tasty little side dish isn’t it?!
      Best of luck to you on your return back home, Ned! Thank you so much for your service to our country!

  5. Shirley Szumlic says:

    5 stars
    Excellent Recipe! I found this one fresh and fabulous!!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      So glad you enjoyed it Shirley! xo

  6. William Clark says:

    5 stars
    very good add some red sweet pepper to it or red shredded cabbage

  7. Dawn says:

    I used Apple Cider Vinegar, left out the garlic, replaced Vidalias with green table onions and added celery seed. Just like Gram made!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Wonderful to hear that you enjoyed it Dawn! xo

  8. Bubba_Mustafa says:

    4 stars
    Pinch of tarragon, dill, and crushed celery seed.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      You can definitely add other seasonings to your taste. Thanks Bubba!

  9. Donna (Lewis) Hathaway says:

    5 stars
    It is spicy and delicious. My family loves this recipe. Will make it again…

  10. Adriana says:

    5 stars
    How many calories is this recipe? I do love making it and it is delicious!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Adriana,
      I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe and glad that you left me a note to say hello and let me know!
      I have recently started adding nutritional information to my recipes as I post them, but for some of my previously posted recipes, I use a calorie tracking application, such as My Fitness Pal, to figure that information based on serving size and ingredients used.
      I hope this helps! Thanks so much! xo