When I want to make a quick and easy side dish, especially in the Summer, I always turn to this zesty cucumber onion salad. This cucumber salad recipe comes together quickly and easily with just a few ingredients. Fresh cucumber and red onion slices are dressed simply in a homemade vinegar salad dressing. It’s a flavor combination that makes me think of beautiful weather, family get-togethers, and fun around the table.
What’s in this Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe?
- Cucumbers: Start with fresh, juicy cucumbers, cut into slices. A mandolin works really well for quick slicing. Thinner or thicker slices work, as do diced or cubed cucumbers. A chopped cucumber and onion salad is great too!
- Red Onion: Red onion has a nice bite that “spices” this salad up. I like cutting them into half moons, but you can chop or dice onions if you prefer.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This is the base of my vinegar salad dressing. It’s tangy and slightly sweet, and less acidic than some other vinegars, which is perfect for a light salad.
- Sugar: Add just a little bit of granulated sugar into the dressing for sweetness.
- Water: Water fills out the dressing. No oil needed here!
- How to Make Ahead and Store
- I love that this quick and easy cucumber salad with vinegar dressing can be prepped and/or made ahead of time.
- Veggies: Slice cucumbers and onions ahead of time, and store them in airtight containers (separately) until ready to use. If you do this, I recommend salting the cucumbers so they don’t accumulate moisture. You can also go ahead and soak the onions if you want to cut their intensity.
- Dressing: Combine the vinegar dressing ingredients in a jar as instructed in the recipe card. This can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Just shake or stir before tossing into the salad.
- Toss everything together when you’re ready to serve it.
- Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 red onion sliced
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions: - Slice each cucumber in ¼-inch slices and add to a large bowl.2 cucumbers
- Add in the sliced red onion (sliced into half moons) and toss to combine.1 red onion
- In a mason jar or small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper.⅓ cup apple cider vinegar,¼ cup water,1 tablespoon granulated sugar,1 teaspoon fine sea salt,1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pour the dressing mixture over the cucumber and onion and toss to fully coat/combine.
- Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
