This incredibly simple vinegar cucumber salad is a delicious chilled salad to eat all summer long! Thinly sliced and salted cucumbers marinate in a simple, slightly sweet apple cider vinegar dressing to make the perfect veggie side dish for cookouts/barbecues or any summertime meal. Also, it's an excellent way to use up those garden or CSA cucumbers!
More commonly known in my family as "vinegar cukes", we enjoyed this vinegar cucumber salad at most meals I can remember growing up! Especially in summer, this was one of our go-to recipes for a flavorful, refreshing side salad to accompany any lunch or dinner. To this day, it's one of my favorite ways to make summer dinners easier—a grilled main with a couple no-cook sides, like this simple leafy green salad and these cucumbers. Basically, any time you need to round out a meal with a simple vegetable side dish, vinegar cucumbers are here for you.
The "dressing" is very similar to a vinegar brine for quick pickling (without the boiling, just like with my quick-pickled strawberries! ), but it's also similar to a vinaigrette because it includes a bit of oil whisked in. Your cukes will be submerged, possibly even floating, as they marinate in the sweet and tart flavors. Growing up, my cousin and I called it "the juice", and we almost always drank it plain afterwards... don't knock it till you try it, I guess? Either way, hope you enjoy!
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Ingredients
- Cucumbers - In summer, go for any garden, farmers market, and CSA cukes you can get your hands on. They are such a treat! That said, any cucumbers you have access to will work.
- Sweet onion - Same as above—garden fresh is SO good, but any sweet onion will do. This is an optional ingredient, but I love the added flavor.
- Salt - Brings out the flavor of the cucumbers, as well as draws some of the water out to flavor the salad.
- Apple cider vinegar - I grew up making this recipe with apple cider vinegar, and to this day I use this vinegar most often for this recipe. That said, any light colored vinegar will work! Rice vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, and white wine vinegar are all excellent swaps I've made over the years.
- Neutral-tasting oil - I recommend grapeseed oil, light extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil.
- Natural cane sugar - You could also use maple syrup or agave to sweeten. For this one, I wanted to stay true to my mom's recipe so a natural cane sugar worked best. I love the kinds from Wholesome and Florida Crystals.
This salad has an alter ego! It's this creamy cucumber salad, and it's perfect for rotating out with cucumber vinegar salad.
Substitutions & Variations
- Natural cane sugar - Maple syrup, agave, or date sugar all work well as substitutions for natural cane sugar. Note that maple syrup and agave will have a distinct flavor to them, but it will be diluted by the vinegar and oil.
- Sweet peppers - Add some small-diced sweet peppers to the cucumbers for more flavor!
- Fresh herbs - Most fresh herbs would go really well in this recipe. Simply chop your herb of choice into super small pieces, and sprinkle some in. Dill is one of my favorites with cucumber!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Peel and slice your cucumbers into thin coin shapes using a sharp knife or mandoline. Dice onions and add everything to a bowl. Add salt and gently stir to coat the cucumbers. Set in fridge for 10-30 minutes (covered).
Step 2: Make the vinegar brine. Add the neutral-flavored oil, apple cider vinegar, natural cane sugar, salt, and pepper to a mason jar. Shake vigorously or whisk to thoroughly combine.
Step 3: Once the cucumbers have had 10-30 minutes to salt 'n chill, add the vinegar brine and stir to combine. The salt will have pulled some water out of the cukes, which you may notice in the bottom of your bowl/container. No need to drain, as this will add flavor! Taste and add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired. Then, chill in the fridge until you're ready to eat.
Note: You can serve them immediately, but they are extra good when chilled for at least 30 minutes.
Success Tip: While the cucumbers are chilling in the fridge after you've salted them, and place another bowl or plate on top to weigh the cucumbers down. This will help extract more water from the cucumbers!
Tera's Sustainability Tips
- Extra cider vinegar brine. Once all the cucumbers are eaten, there will probably be some apple cider vinegar brine left. You can easily keep prepping and adding cucumber slices until you use it all up!
- Storage cucumbers without plastic. Cucumbers can be left out on a cool countertop for a day or two. For longer storage, wrap loosely in a clean, dry towel (or paper towel) and keep in a crisper drawer, away from ethylene-emitting fruits (such as apples, avocados, or oranges, which ripen adjacent veggies more quickly by emitting ethylene gas).
- Cucumber peelings. To stay true to how I grew up with this recipe, I do often peel the cucumbers, but you don't have to! It'll still taste amazing. If you do, there are easy ways to avoid wasting the peelings. You can either compost them (I love our Lomi so much–it has made composting so easy!), or chop them up and use them in a salad for some extra crunch.
Did you make these yummy vinegar cucumbers? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
Print📖 Recipe
Refreshing Cucumber Vinegar Salad
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This simple vinegar cucumber salad recipe is one of my favorites to eat all summer long! It comes together quickly for a healthy, refreshing side dish for summer cookouts/barbecues or any meal.
Ingredients
- 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced into coins (~4-5 cups slices)
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup sweet onion, finely diced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil (such as grapeseed oil or a light olive oil)
- 1-2 tablespoon natural cane sugar
- ⅛ tsp each salt and pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cucumbers: Place cucumber slices into a large bowl, add salt, and stir to make sure salt is distributed. Toss in the diced onions, cover, and place in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw water (and flavor!) out from the cucumbers.
- Make the vinegar brine: Combine apple cider vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper into a mason jar. Close with a tight lid and shake vigorously to combine. Alternatively, whisk these ingredients together in a bowl.
- Combine: Pour the brine over the cucumber slices and stir gently so the cucumbers are submerged.
- Chill: This step could be optional, but is highly recommended! Chill the vinegar cukes for 30 minutes or longer prior to serving.
Notes
- Vinegar: If you don't have apple cider vinegar, feel free to swap in white vinegar, rice vinegar, or another vinegar.
- Storage: Store the finished salad in an airtight container or mason jars for up to a week.
- Flexibility: The vinegar-to-oil ratio, sugar, salt, and pepper can all be adjusted to your taste!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Category: Salad
- Method: Combine
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 5.7 g
- Sodium: 295.4 mg
- Fat: 10.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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