Here’s an unbelievably simple cucumber salad recipe that I genuinely can’t stop eating. The simple vinegar dressing is perfect with thinly sliced crisp cucumbers!
The secret to my favorite cucumber salad is salting the cucumbers for 30 minutes before tossing them with our dressing. Cucumbers have a lot of water, and my salting step makes sure that your cucumber salad stays crisp and never soggy. No watery bowls of cucumber salad for you here!
I can finish an entire bowl of this cucumber salad. The vinegar-based dressing reminds me a little bit of pickles. We balance the vinegar with Dijon mustard and a bit of sugar (not a lot, this salad is not sweet). For more cucumbery recipes, see our creamy cucumber salad (inspired by tzatziki sauce) and this avocado salad with cucumbers!
Key Ingredients
- Cucumbers: I love thin-skinned cucumbers like Hot House or Persian cucumbers for this salad. Garden cucumbers are fine, but they usually have thicker skins and seeds, so I peel them and scrape out most of their seeds before using them in the salad. (I use the same cucumbers in most of the cucumber recipes on Inspired Taste.)
- Salt: The secret to the best cucumber salad is to salt your cucumbers. The salt makes the cucumbers taste better and removes excess water, which, if left, dilutes your delicious dressing. I use sea salt, but any salt will do.
- Vinegar: I love apple cider vinegar in this dressing, but white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or rice wine vinegar also work nicely.
- Sugar: I don’t like sweet salad dressings, but I think a teaspoon (or two) of sugar balances the vinegar in this cucumber salad nicely. I share a suggested range in my recipe below so that you can add it to your taste.
- Dijon mustard: Creamy Dijon adds a tangy flavor to this salad. I love it. Whole grain mustard would be lovely, too.
- Onion: Cucumbers and onion are a classic combination, so I toss in some sliced red onion. I like the red onion for color, but a sweet onion like Vidalia or Walla Walla onion would be amazing.
Salting the cucumbers for this salad draws out excess water and intensifies their flavor. This means your dressing won’t become watery and your cucumbers will taste more cucumbery (is that word?). It takes 30 minutes, but it’s easy (promise). I also salt cucumbers when making dill pickles and salt cabbage when making this cilantro lime coleslaw.
Easy Cucumber Salad
- PREP
- TOTAL
I have a hard time not eating the entire bowl of this vinegar cucumber salad! It’s so simple, but so delicious. I love apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar for this, but rice wine vinegar is lovely, too. Add the sugar to your taste. I prefer a more zippy dressing, so I use 2 teaspoons.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds seedless cucumbers, like Hot House or Persian, about 2 large or 5 small cucumbers
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 to 3 teaspoons granulated sugar, depending on taste
1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced
Directions
1Salt the cucumbers: Thinly slice cucumbers, toss with 1 teaspoon of salt, then add to a colander set over the sink or bowl. Let them sit for 30 minutes.
2Rinse the cucumbers with cold water, then spin dry in a salad spinner (or add the cucumbers to a clean dish towel, tie it up, and gently squeeze).
3Make the dressing: Whisk two teaspoons of sugar, vinegar, and mustard in a large bowl. Taste, then add the additional teaspoon of sugar if needed.
4Make the salad: Add the cucumbers and red onion to the dressing, then toss. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for up to 3 days (the cucumbers will soften over time and are best on days 1 and 2).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Cucumbers: You will often find seedless cucumbers sold wrapped in plastic. They have thinner skin and are a little sweeter than regular cucumbers. Other names include English cucumber and hothouse cucumber. If you cannot find them, use regular cucumbers and a spoon to scoop the seeds before slicing. If the cucumbers have a thicker, waxy peel, we recommend peeling all or some of it away.
- What to serve it with: This light, zippy cucumber salad is an essential summer salad. We love it for BBQs and serve it next to grilled steak, grilled chicken, cedar plank salmon, and slow cooker pulled pork (the vinegar cuts through the fat really well). It’s also great next to other salads like our pasta salad, Caprese salad, watermelon feta salad, or this quinoa salad. I’ve also served it with gazpacho and loved it!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Thanks for the great recipe, I made it as a side dish for memorial day grilling and it was requested to be a standard offering going forward.
Amazing! Thank you so much for coming back and letting us know! It means a lot!
Just tried Easy Cucumber Salad. I used white wine vinegar and was delicious. Company loved it. BUT I would ise less vinegar since I’m not a vinegar person.
So happy you tried the recipe, Natalie! Thank you for coming back!