Description
A cool, crisp, and refreshing cucumber salad made with simple pantry ingredients and garden-fresh herbs. This easy recipe is perfect as a side for grilled meats, sandwiches, or light summer meals. The tangy-sweet dressing clings beautifully to the thinly sliced cucumbers and onions, while the dill adds a classic herbal note that brings it all together. Make it ahead of time and let the flavors mingle for a truly addictive side dish you’ll want on repeat all season long.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large English cucumbers (or 4 Persian cucumbers), thinly sliced
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumbers and red onion. If desired, lightly salt cucumbers and let sit in a colander for 10–15 minutes to drain excess moisture. Pat dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil until well combined.
- Add cucumbers and onions to a large bowl. Pour dressing over and toss gently to coat.
- Stir in fresh dill and mix again.
- Cover and refrigerate for 15–30 minutes or up to 1 day before serving.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving chilled.
Notes
- For crunchier texture, don’t skip the salting and draining step.
- Letting the salad marinate longer deepens the flavor.
- Substitute dill with mint or basil for a different twist.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad / Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American / European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 62
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 3.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg