Cucumber Salad is a refreshing, healthy and easy to make side salad. It's perfect for summer, and pairs beautifully with any entree.
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you're looking for a summery side salad, this easy cucumber salad might be exactly what you need. Made with onions, mayonnaise, and mint, it's packed with amazing flavors, but made in less than 15 minutes.
I love this salad recipe because it's so simple, yet delicious, and it's always a popular side dish. It's easy to customize to suit your preferences, and both kids and adults will enjoy it.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- Cucumbers - English cucumber is the main ingredient in the recipe.
- Red onion - Adds some flavor and color.
- Mayonnaise - Makes the dressing creamy.
- Apple cider vinegar - Gives the dressing a vinaigrette type flavor.
- Olive oil - A great dressing base.
- Mint - Adds a refreshing flavor.
- Parsley - Pairs perfectly with cucumber and mint.
- Salt + pepper - Seasoning enhances the flavors of the salad.
🔪 Instructions
- Slice the cucumbers and line them between two paper towels. Leave them for around 10 minutes. This will draw most of the liquid out of the cucumber.
- Place the cucumber in a bowl, and add thinly sliced red onion.
- Combine finely chopped mint and parsley with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the cucumber and onion, and stir to combine. Serve the salad immediately.
👪 FAQs
Slightly salting sliced cucumbers before adding them to salad can help to further draw the moisture out of the vegetable. This makes dressing stick to them more easily.
Cucumber salad can be made in many ways, but typically consists of herbs, cucumbers and a flavorful dressing.
💭 Other Helpful Tips
- You can slice the onion and cucumber the night before, but I recommend combining the vegetables with the dressing shortly before serving.
- For easy slicing, use a mandolin, or a slice assistant with a sharp knife. In a pinch, you could even use a good quality vegetable Y peeler.
- Refrigerate the salad until you're ready to serve it. It's best served chilled straight from the fridge.
📖 Variations
- Substitute or add any herbs as you wish. Dill or thyme are excellent options.
- Feel free to add any vegetables that you like, such as radishes, peppers or tomatoes.
- You can also add any toppings or garnishes like nuts or seeds.
- Use vegan mayonnaise to make a vegan cucumber salad.
- Substitute the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt to make a lighter version of the salad.
🍽️ Suggested Main Dishes
This easy cucumber salad pairs perfectly with pretty much any entree. I particularly like to serve it with summery entrees, fish and meat. Try it with this easy Chicken Tray Bake with Potatoes, or Braised Garlic and Soy Pork. You can also serve the cucumbers in a sandwich, or on top of Avocado Tuna Melt.
It also pairs really well with fish, for example Air Fryer Tilapia, Blackened Cod or Miso Glazed Sea Bass.
🥗 Related Recipes
- Berry Salad - Refreshing summer salad packed with berries and fruit.
- Kale Caesar Salad - A side dish version of Caesar salad.
- Apple Walnut Salad - Quick, easy and packed with flavor.
- Avocado Cucumber Quinoa Salad - A filling vegetarian salad.
Cucumber Salad
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📋 Recipe Card
Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice the cucumber and onion thinly. Don't peel the cucumbers.
- Place the cucumber slices on a paper towel. Top with a second paper towel. Leave the cucumbers to rest for about 10 minutes to allow the moisture to be released.
- Place the cucumber slices in a mixing bowl, and add thinly sliced red onion.
- Combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and finely chopped mint and parsley in a smaller bowl to make the dressing.
- Pour the salad dressing over the cucumber and onion. Stir to coat evenly, and serve.
Notes
- Replace mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for a lighter version, or use vegan mayonnaise for a vegan cucumber salad.
- You can also try other herbs, or use dried herbs if you don't have fresh herbs available.
- Serve the salad immediately, or within 2 hours. Refrigerate the salad until serving.
- Feel free to add other ingredients like sliced vegetables, nuts, seeds or herbs.
Nutrition
Tonje is the owner of Hintofhealthy.com, where she shares easy and healthy everyday recipes. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram for more family friendly meal inspiration.
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