This refreshing cucumber onion salad brings crisp, garden-fresh flavors to your table in just 10 minutes. With only 53 calories per serving, it’s a light yet satisfying side dish that pairs perfectly with summer meals.
The natural sweetness of sliced onions complements the cool crunch of cucumbers, creating a simple but memorable combination. Perfect for picnics, barbecues, or easy weeknight dinners, this vibrant salad delivers both nutrition and taste without any fuss.
Ingredients
- Cucumbers: 6 mini cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, perfect for a crisp texture
- Sweet Onion: 1/4 of a large onion, thinly sliced for balanced flavor
- White Vinegar: 3 tablespoons, adds tanginess
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon, balances the acidity
- Red Wine Vinegar: 1 teaspoon, adds depth to the dressing
- Seasonings: Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep Vegetables: Slice cucumbers thinly and cut sweet onion into very thin slices
- Combine: Place sliced vegetables in a large bowl
- Make Dressing: In a separate small bowl, mix white vinegar, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper
- Taste Test: Sample the dressing and adjust sweetness or tanginess to your preference
- Dress and Marinate: Pour dressing over vegetables, toss well, and let marinate for at least one hour before serving
Variations
This fresh salad is so easy to customize! Try adding halved cherry tomatoes for a pop of color, or thinly sliced bell peppers for extra crunch. Love herbs? Fresh dill pairs wonderfully with cucumbers – just sprinkle some on top before serving.
You can also swap the white vinegar for rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar to change up the flavor profile.
Serving Suggestions
This cool and crisp salad makes a perfect side dish for summer barbecues! Serve it alongside grilled meats, sandwiches, or bring it to your next picnic. It’s also great with spicy dishes since the cucumbers help cool things down. For a pretty presentation, try serving it in a clear glass bowl so everyone can see the lovely layers of vegetables.
Storage Tips
Keep your cucumber salad fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The vegetables will continue to soften and the flavors will get stronger over time.
If you want to make it ahead, you can slice the vegetables and mix the dressing separately, then combine them about an hour before serving. This gives you the perfect texture and taste!
Cucumber Onion Salad
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- small bowl
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 6 mini cucumbers or 1 English cucumber
- 1/4 large sweet onion
For the Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cucumbers into thin slices.
- Slice the wedge of sweet onion into very thin slices. Place in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl combine the vinegar, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Taste the dressing–it’s easy to adapt it if you want it to be a little sweeter or more tangy.
- Pour dressing over veggies and toss to combine.
- For best results, allow the mixture to marinate for at least an hour before serving.
