Refreshing Crunchy Cucumber Salad (Printable View)

Crisp cucumbers, red onion, and fresh herbs in a tangy vinegar dressing. A light, refreshing salad that gets better after chilling.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 pound English cucumbers or 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
02 - ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
03 - 1 small carrot, julienned (optional)
04 - ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes (optional)
05 - Thinly sliced jicama or watermelon radish (optional)

→ Herbs

06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon fresh mint, plus additional for garnish

→ Dressing

07 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or toasted sesame oil
09 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey
10 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
11 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Toppings

12 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds or chopped almonds (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Wash and pat dry cucumbers. If desired, remove seeds by cutting each cucumber in half lengthwise and scooping out the center with a spoon. Slice into 1/8-inch rounds.
02 - Place cucumber slices in a colander set over a bowl or sink. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and toss gently. Let drain for 10 minutes to remove excess water.
03 - After 10 minutes, rinse cucumbers under cold water to remove surface salt. Shake off excess water and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar or honey, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper until smooth.
05 - In a large mixing bowl, add drained cucumbers, red onion, chopped dill or mint, and any optional add-ins including carrot, cherry tomatoes, jicama, radish, nuts, or seeds.
06 - Pour dressing over the mixture and toss gently until well coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld and cucumbers to chill. For best crunch, serve within 2 hours.
08 - Transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Garnish with extra dill or mint and a sprinkle of sesame seeds or nuts for added crunch and visual appeal.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It cools you down from the inside out without turning on the stove or oven.
  • The crunch stays crisp if you salt and drain the cucumbers first, a trick that transforms them.
  • You can toss it together while pasta water boils or chicken marinates and it only gets better as it sits.
  • The dressing is so simple you'll memorize it after making it once.
02 -
  • Skipping the salting step leaves you with a watery salad that dilutes the dressing and loses its crunch within an hour.
  • If you dress it too far in advance, the cucumbers will soften and the onions will get slimy, so wait until close to serving time.
  • Using a mandoline makes slicing faster and more uniform, but watch your fingers because those blades are unforgiving.
03 -
  • Taste a cucumber slice before you start, some are bitter near the stem end and should be trimmed off.
  • If your onions are too sharp, soak the slices in ice water for five minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding them.
  • A mandoline set to the thinnest setting gives you restaurant quality slices in seconds, just use the guard.
  • For extra crunch, add jicama or watermelon radish, both stay crisp even after sitting in dressing.
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