Cucumber Salad with a Light Vinaigrette

This tangy cucumber salad with dill will make your tastebuds dance. The crisp cucumbers and zesty onions pair nicely with a light vinaigrette, perfect for a summer barbecue.

Nutritional benefits

Cucumbers are made up of mostly water (about 95%) which means they are a hydrating snack on hot days spent in the garden.

They are also a good source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium.

Light or creamy cucumber salad?

Cucumber salad has several variations. Some recipes call for sour cream or greek yogurt to make a creamy dressing. Although I love greek yogurt, I’m not a fan of it with cucumbers.

This blog post will teach you how to make cucumber salad with a simple and light vinaigrette. Its so simple, I didn’t even mix the dressing before adding it to the salad. I just threw it all together.

What kind of cucumber is best?

Any kind of cucumber will work for this salad. But the best kind of cucumber is whatever you have access to. So if you grow cucumbers in your garden or buy some from the farmers market, just take whatever you can find and add it to this easy summer salad.

Based on other recipes I have seen though, most people prefer an English cucumber because of their thin skin. But if you have other cucumbers with thicker skin, you can either peel them before chopping up in the salad or simply leave the skin on.

Ingredients

• 4 medium cucumbers, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 3/4 cup dill
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 Tb and 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Sweat the cucumbers

Sweating the cucumbers means drawing some of the water out so that the salad is not too watery, which also intensifies the flavor.

To do this, simply sprinkle salt over your chopped up cucumbers and let sit for 10 minutes. Then drain off the water.

Chop veggies

Chop up onion and dil and add to cucumbers after you sweat them.

Add in ingredients for dressing

Add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to the veggies and incorporate well.

Refrigerate and enjoy

Chill in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Ways to eat cucumber salad

Cucumber salad is great on its own, but if you are looking for a complete meal try adding it to a cheese burger in place of pickles.

Other fun options include adding it to a wrap, eating it over a bed of quinoa, or having it as a side with grilled chicken. You really can’t go wrong here.

Storing cucumber salad

Store cucumber salad in the fridge for 7-10 days to be conservative. But this recipe is for a vinegar cucumber salad, so in a way we are pickling the cucumbers. I might store them a bit longer then 10 days… if they last that long in my house.

Conclusion

Cucumber salad is a wonderful way to enjoy the tastes of the summer. This recipe will keep you feeling cool and hydrated and only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Save for later!

Want more summer recipes?

Roasted corn salad