Classic Cucumber Salad
Thinly sliced cucumbers and red onions tossed in a sharp vinegar-based dressing, kept cold to ensure a crisp, refreshing crunch.
Salt is your secret to crunch.
Salting the cucumbers pulls out excess water, preventing the salad from becoming soupy. Do not skip the resting period.
- mandoline or sharp chef's knife
- colander
- large glass bowl
What goes in.
- 2 largeEnglish cucumbers
- 1/2red onion, shaved into paper-thin half-moons
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/3 cupapple cider vinegar
- 2 tbspgranulated sugar
- 1/4 cupfresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 tspblack pepper, freshly cracked
Drawing out the moisture
Tossing the cucumbers with salt and letting them sit in a colander for an hour ensures the final salad stays snappy rather than limp.
The method.
Prep the vegetables
Use a mandoline to slice cucumbers into consistent coins. Combine them with the sliced red onions in a colander.
Salt and drain
Sprinkle the salt over the cucumbers and onions, toss to coat, and set the colander over a bowl for 60 minutes.
Make the dressing
In a clean bowl, whisk the vinegar, sugar, and black pepper until the grains dissolve completely.
Assemble
Pat the drained cucumbers dry with a paper towel. Add them to the bowl with the dressing and fold in the fresh dill.
Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving so the flavors settle.
Other turns to take.
Creamy Version
Whisk two tablespoons of sour cream or plain yogurt into the dressing mixture before tossing.
Spicy Kick
Add a pinch of red chili flakes to the vinegar base for heat.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use English or Persian cucumbers; their skins are thin and they contain fewer seeds, meaning less watery mess.
If you lack a mandoline, use a sharp vegetable peeler to get thin, ribbon-like slices.
The salad is best eaten within a few hours of assembly; after that, the cucumbers lose their snap.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use white vinegar instead of cider vinegar?
Yes, but it is significantly sharper. You may want to increase the sugar slightly to balance the bite.
Why did my salad turn watery?
The cucumbers were likely not drained long enough or you skipped the salting process entirely.
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