This sweet and sour cucumber salad takes about 15 minutes to put together and then does its best work in the fridge overnight. The vinegar brine is what makes it: it flavours the cucumbers all the way through and takes the raw edge off the onion, so you get something that tastes sharp and fresh at the same time. Slice thin, toss, refrigerate. That is the whole recipe.
Prep
15
min
Cook
0
no cook
Serves
8–10
batch
Level
Beginner
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This is part of the Basics Series on the blog: short posts on the recipes you make on rotation but probably never sat down to nail properly. Cucumber salad earns its spot because most homemade versions are watery or under-seasoned. Serious Eats has a more elaborate take; this version is simpler and relies on one thing: slice thin, use enough vinegar, and give it time to sit.
Everything you need, cucumbers, red onion, dill, and the brine
Ingredients
What you need
Serves 8–10 · tap to check off
10 fresh cucumbers
1 red onion
2 tbsp fresh dill
½ cup white vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2–3 tbsp olive oil
How to Make It
1
Slice the cucumbers thin. Use a mandoline if you have one, about 3mm is the target. Too thick and the brine barely penetrates; too thin and they go soggy. A sharp knife works fine, just aim for consistent slices.
2
Slice the red onion into thin half-moons. Cut the onion in half through the root, then slice across the grain. Thin slices matter here because the brine needs to mellow the raw onion flavour all the way through.
A mandoline gives you consistent thin slices in seconds
3
Make the brine. In a small bowl or jug, combine the white vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved. Taste it: it should be noticeably sharp and slightly sweet, not balanced. It will mellow once it hits the cucumbers.
4
Combine cucumbers and onion in a large container or bowl. Add the olive oil and pour the brine over everything. Toss well so every slice is coated.
5
Add the dill and toss again. Fresh dill only. Dried dill goes flat in a brine-based salad. If you do not have fresh dill, skip it rather than substitute.
6
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is better. The cucumbers release some water into the brine which rounds it out, and the onion loses its sharpness completely. If you are making this for guests, make it the night before.
After tossing with the brine and dill, into the fridge it goes
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Why the resting time matters
Fresh out of the bowl this tastes sharp and a bit aggressive. After an hour it tastes like a proper salad. After a night, the brine has softened the onion, the cucumbers have absorbed the seasoning all the way through, and the liquid at the bottom has become a flavourful dressing.
Four Ways to Riff On It
The base recipe is deliberately simple so it works with almost anything on the table. These four variations each pull it in a different direction without changing the method.
Asian Direction
Swap the white vinegar for rice vinegar and add a teaspoon of sesame oil alongside the olive oil. Add a pinch of chili flakes. Pairs perfectly with fried rice or gyoza.
Herby and Fresh
Replace the dill with fresh mint and a handful of flat-leaf parsley. Add a squeeze of lemon with the vinegar. Lighter and more summery, great alongside grilled fish.
With Heat
Add half a thinly sliced red chili or a generous pinch of crushed red pepper to the brine. The heat blooms in the vinegar as it sits. Keeps the sweet-sour base intact, just with a kick at the finish.
Garlic Version
Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves to the brine. After a night in the fridge the garlic mellows completely and flavours the whole salad. This is the version that disappears fastest at a barbecue.
Served as a side with gyoza, the acidity works like a dipping sauce replacement.
On the table with chicken fried rice, it cuts through the richness and adds crunch.
Straight from the fridge as a snack with crackers. This is probably the most honest use case.
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Storage
Keeps for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The texture softens a little by day 3 but the flavour actually gets better. Do not freeze it, the cucumbers will turn to mush when thawed. Drain off some of the liquid before serving if it has pooled at the bottom, then give it a good toss.
That is all there is to this sweet and sour cucumber salad. Make a big batch on Sunday and it handles itself for most of the week. If you try the garlic variation or the Asian direction, drop a comment below with what you served it with.
