The Best Cucumber Salad

Summertime is not complete without the best cucumber salad! It takes thinly sliced cucumbers and red onions mixed together with a sweet vinegar dressing. You’ll love this easy and quick side dish!

If there is one salad I have been eating NON STOP CONSTANTLY it’s this delicious bowl right here. I cannot stress enough how much I am in love with this salad.

Yes, I just said I am in love with a salad. 

It stays crispy for days in the refrigerator and only takes 15 minutes to throw together. 

If you’re familiar with cucumber salad you’ll know that there are basically two types – creamy and vinegar. Technically they both contain vinegar but the creamy includes (typically) sour cream.

I have a recipe for Greek yogurt ranch cucumber salad that is equally delicious if you’re a fan of the creamy variety. 

What type of cucumbers should I use in cucumber salad?

There are a lot of different cucumbers found in stores. Typically I see the traditional slicing cucumbers along with English, Persian mini, Kirby pickling cucumbers, etc. 

Yes, there really are that many different cucumbers! 

Lucky for you I’m going to make this salad super simple! 

I prefer to use the mini Persian cucumbers because they are thin-skinned, not overly seedy, and super crunchy. These are all good things when it comes to making an easy summer salad. 

However, you can use English cucumbers pretty much interchangeably with this cucumber salad recipe. They are equally as thinned-skinned but grow to be much larger than mini cucumbers. 

If you can only find traditional slicing cucumbers you might want to peel the cucumber as its skin is MUCH thicker and waxier than the English or Persian variety. 

I would leave Kirby cucumbers to pickle. They are the traditional “pickle” type of cucumber and work really well for most pickling recipes. Including my dad’s pickle recipe! 

How can I change the cucumber salad? 

Looking to make a few changes? 

Here are a few changes or additions that can make this salad even more delicious! 

• Don’t have seasoned rice wine vinegar? Try using apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even white vinegar. 
• Want to add more vegetables? Chopped tomatoes, avocado, or even chickpeas make a delicious addition. 
• Looking for a little extra spice? Bump up that crushed red pepper to make this cucumber salad a little spicier. 
• Can’t find Persian mini cucumbers? Try using English cucumbers. 
• Looking for a different flavor profile? Drizzle in a little sesame oil, take out the dill, and add in sesame seeds for an Asian-inspired salad. 

Can I use fresh dill instead of dried dill? 

Of course! I typically enjoy using fresh herbs in my salads over dried herbs. 

However, it’s been a bit difficult to find fresh herbs so I developed this recipe using dried herbs so it can be made all year round. 

If you want to use fresh dill you’ll want to use more than the dried amount. This is because fresh herbs are less concentrated than dried so you’ll want to use more to get that big burst of flavor. 

I would add 1 tablespoon of minced fresh dill in place of the 1 teaspoon dried dill. 

How do I store cucumber salad? 

You’ll want to store cucumber salad covered in the refrigerator.

We typically eat this whole batch in 2 days but it will stay for up to 4 days. 

The longer the cucumber salad sits in the fridge the more the cucumbers will pick up the vinegar dressing. Surprisingly the cucumbers will still stay crunchy but they may have a bit more bite to them. 

Since this salad does not contain mayonnaise it’s a great option for summer picnics! 

Loving this cucumber salad recipe? 

Why not try some of my other delicious summer side salads?

• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Creamy Horseradish Cucumber Salad
• Greek Yogurt Ranch Cucumber Salad