Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe
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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 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
Thank you
Question: can I make large batches and freeze?
You can freeze this, Lisa. Just make as instructed in the recipe and then place in airtight freezer containers for up to 12 months.
Ran out of cucumber, this recipe also works well with squash.
Very similar, but we use the truly sweet onion, Walla Walla Sweets. Once you have eaten one, you will never go back to Vidalias. My mother made it this way and my mother-in-law made it with the addition of sour cream. Either way it is great! Just remember the Walla Walla Sweets!
Hi Laura,
Since I live in Georgia, we always have the Vidalia onion. I don’t remember ever seeing Walla Walla onions here. I always thought this Cucumber Onion Salad was a Southern dish until I was grown because my grandmother and mother always made this, too. Thanks!
It’s a classic! Thank you!
Yep,that the recipe I was looking for .I had no idea it was that easy.Thank you for sharing
I’m so glad you found it and enjoyed it Tom! Thanks!
My favorite and easy go to recipe for all those summer cucumbers!
I need to know amount of stevia vs sugar? Diabetic. I KNOW stevia says cup for cup, but that may be true for baking but BOT for cooking – stevia waaay too sweet. Also, this recipe originated in Germany (and maybe Poland) Germans use vinegar in practically everything!
Hi – I’ve never made this with stevia so I’m sorry that I can’t say exactly. However, there is only 2 teaspoons of sugar in the recipe, so I think maybe you could start with much smaller amount of stevia than that to start and taste a bit of the mixture. You can always add a bit more if you need it after tasting.
Delicious! I used a yellow onion since I didn’t have a Vidalia onion. I had to double the recipe because i had big cucumbers and I let it sit overnight. Turned out great. This recipe is a keeper.
Thanks Luther! Glad you liked it!
Excellent. This is the recipe I was raised on, except for the addition of about half a teaspoon of fennel seeds.