Free Recipe
Cool Cucumber and Onion Salad
A crisp, refreshing salad of thin cucumber and onion slices in a light sweet-and-sour dressing. It comes together in minutes and is the perfect cool bite next to something rich and smoky.
Prep15 min
Cook0 min
Total15 min
ServingsServes 6 as a side
DifficultyEasy
Rating★ 4.4
Why You'll Love This
- Ready in 15 minutes of hands-on time
- Cool and refreshing next to spicy or smoky food
- No cooking required
Ingredients
- 3 large cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for sweating the cucumbers
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Method
- Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander set over a bowl or the sink, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and let them sit for 15 minutes; this draws out excess water so the salad does not turn watery later.
- Pat the cucumbers dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
- Slice the red onion as thin as you can, since thick pieces taste sharp and overpowering next to the mild cucumber.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Add the drained cucumbers and sliced red onion to the bowl.
- Toss everything together until every slice is coated in the dressing.
- Stir in the chopped dill.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, tossing once more right before you bring it to the table.
- Serve cold, using a slotted spoon so you leave excess dressing behind in the bowl.
Tips
- Salting and draining the cucumbers first is the step that keeps this salad crisp instead of watery and diluted.
- English or seedless cucumbers work great here and skip the need to remove seeds.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Calories: 60
Protein: 1g
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 14g
Fiber: 1g
Sodium: 350mg
