Crisp Cucumber Salad with Vinegar Dressing
A good cucumber salad hinges on texture. When you salt the slices first and let them weep, you strip away the bitterness and create a structural crunch that holds up under a punchy, vinegar-based dressing.
Don't skip the resting time.
If you dress the cucumbers immediately, they will shed water into your bowl and dilute the flavor. Let them sit in the colander to do the heavy lifting first.
- Mandoline or sharp chef's knife
- Colander
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
What goes in.
- 2 largeEnglish cucumbers, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
- 1 tspkosher salt, plus more for the cucumbers
- 1/3 cupwhite distilled vinegar
- 2 tbspgranulated sugar
- 1/4 cupred onion, shaved paper-thin
- 1 tbspfresh dill, chopped
Drawing out the moisture
Toss your sliced cucumbers with a generous pinch of salt in a colander set over a bowl. After 45 minutes, press firmly on the cucumbers to squeeze out every drop of excess liquid before dressing.
The method.
Prep the cucumbers
Slice the cucumbers uniformly. Place them in a colander, toss with salt, and let them sit over a bowl for at least 45 minutes.
Make the dressing
Whisk the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar grains disappear completely.
Combine
Press the water out of the cucumber slices. Transfer them to a serving bowl, add the shaved onions and dill, and pour the dressing over everything.
Chill and serve
Toss well to coat. Let the salad rest for 15 minutes before serving so the flavors settle into the cucumber flesh.
Other turns to take.
Creamy Finish
Whisk two tablespoons of sour cream into the vinegar-sugar mixture for a richer coating.
Spicy Kick
Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the dressing for an aggressive, heat-driven finish.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use English cucumbers because they have thinner skins and fewer seeds, meaning less waste.
Shave the red onion using the same mandoline setting as the cucumbers to ensure the bites are balanced.
If you are short on time, use a clean kitchen towel to wring out the salted cucumbers after 20 minutes.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead?
Yes, it adds a fruity undertone, though white vinegar provides a sharper, cleaner profile that highlights the freshness of the cucumber.
How long will this stay crunchy in the fridge?
It is best consumed within 24 hours. After that, the acid begins to soften the structure of the cucumber, turning them mushy.
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