Cucumber Salad
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This cucumber salad recipe is everything a summer side should be—crisp, punchy, and so flavorful, you’ll want to serve it with everything.
This is my go-to cucumber salad for summer picnics and BBQs. It’s simple, irresistibly good, and actually gets better if you make it ahead—what more could you ask for? I like to use English cucumbers (also called seedless, European, burpless, or hothouse cucumbers). They’re typically wrapped in plastic instead of waxed, so there’s no need to peel them, and they’re slightly sweeter with fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. And the best part? The red onion softens and lightly pickles in the dressing, adding just the right tangy bite.
If you’re in the mood for something creamier, try my creamy cucumber salad—it’s just as delicious, with a sour cream and mayonnaise-based dressing.
“Thank you for this amazing and refreshing salad! I also added a little bit of dill and used agave syrup instead of sugar. Came out fantastic!”
What You’ll Need to Make The Best Cucumber Salad
- Cucumbers & Red Onion: English (or hothouse cucumbers) are ideal. Persian cucumbers work too; they’re a bit crisper and smaller, so you’ll need a few more. The onion lends sharpness and crunch, and once it sits in the dressing, it takes on a lightly pickled flavor.
- Salt, Sugar & Pepper: Salt draws out excess moisture from the cucumbers and brings out their flavor. A touch of sugar balances the tang of the vinegar, and freshly ground black pepper adds a subtle kick.
- Vinegar & Oil: White wine vinegar gives the dressing its bright, tangy backbone. I use a mix of olive oil for richness and vegetable oil to keep the flavor smooth and balanced—but feel free to use all of one or the other if that’s what you have on hand.
- Fresh Herbs: Mint gives the salad a refreshing lift and pairs beautifully with the sweet-tangy dressing, but fresh dill (or another soft herb) works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the cucumbers. Start by slicing the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then use a small spoon to gently scrape out the seeds—this helps keep the salad from getting watery. Slice the cucumbers thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline if you have one. Place them in a colander set over the sink, sprinkle with the salt, and toss to coat.
Step 2: Let them drain. Let the salted cucumbers sit for about 30 minutes. They’ll release a lot of water during this time, which keeps the salad nice and crisp and prevents the dressing from thinning out. When the time’s up, tap the colander against the sink to shake off any lingering moisture, then transfer the cucumbers to a clean dish towel and blot them dry as best you can.
Step 3: Temper the onions (optional). If you’re sensitive to raw onion, you can soak the sliced red onions in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes. It really helps tame the sharpness. Drain them well and pat dry with a paper towel. (Totally optional—if you like raw onions, skip this step.)
Step 4: Mix it all together. In a large bowl, combine the drained cucumbers, onions, chopped mint (or whatever fresh herb you’re using), vinegar, both oils, sugar, and pepper. Give everything a good toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 20 minutes or up to 12 hours ahead before serving to let the flavors come together. Serve it cold—it’s the perfect make-ahead side dish for any summer meal!
More Summer Salads You May Like
Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 English or hothouse cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped red onions
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2½ teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds, then cut into thin slices. Toss the cucumbers with the salt in a colander. Let drain in the sink for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, soak the red onions in a small bowl of ice water for ten minutes, then drain in a fine mesh strainer. Blot dry with a paper towel.
- Tap the cucumber-filled colander on the base of the sink to release any excess water. Lay a clean dish towel flat on the counter, and then dump the cucumbers over top. Use the edges of the towel to blot the cucumbers dry.
- In a medium bowl, toss the cucumbers, onions, white wine vinegar, olive oil, vegetable oil, sugar, pepper and mint. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or up to 12 hours. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve cold.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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When you call for salt in your recipes, are you using kosher or table salt since the measurements will be different? Thanks so much!!! Love your recipes!
Hi Laura, When a recipe of mine says salt in the ingredient list, I am referring to regular/table salt. If it calls for something else like kosher salt, I will specify that in the recipe. And so glad you like the recipes! 🙂
Thank you for this amazing and refreshing salad! I also added a little bit of dill and used agave syrup instead of sugar. Came out fantastic!
Hi Jenn,
This salad is perfect! So quick and tasty, and everyone loves it.
Thank you in general for the many many wonderful recipes, as a working mum of four I really appreciate how simple you make it to prepare quick, healthy and delicious meals. At least once a week I think to myself, thanks, Jenn! Your creamy potato soup from the Weeknights/Weekends book is my picky 13-year-old daughter’s very favourite meal :).
Best wishes, Mags
💗
Jenn, can you let this sit overnight
Hi Carol, This is really best eaten the day it’s made because the cucumbers will get a bit soggy the longer they sit. You can definitely get away with 12 hours, but I’d try to avoid storing it for much longer than that.
Just loved the salad. My only mistake was using the mint from Trader Joes, not as fresh as what the produce market has…kind of dried out. Next time, and there will be many next times,,, Thanks Jenn, your salads are always so good.
This is delicious! Such a great mix of flavors, so light and refreshing. Just what I was looking for. I paired it with the Broiled Salmon with Thai Sweet Chili Glaze from this site (also a 5-star recipe). I used dill because I had plenty, but will use mint next time. And there will be a lot of next times for this yummy side dish. Thanks!
Made per the recipe except I used Vidalia onion, didn’t soak it and I made half the recipe. It was okay. I never scrape the seeds out for other cucumber salad recipes or treat the cukes with salt. I didn’t find doing so to be an improvement and it was a lot of fuss. I might make this again but will skip these added steps.
Almost all cucumber salad recipes call for removing the seeds.
I’m not crazy about mint, used fresh dill instead (same amount). Used all olive oil b/c that’s my fave. Otherwise, followed recipe exactly as written. This salad is worth the effort! It goes great with Jenn’s steakhouse burgers or grilled chicken. It’s light and crunchy…nice alternative to heavier sides like potato salad, pasta salad, etc. I made it four times in the last two weeks!
I made this salad today, and my sister and her husband ( along with us) raved about it!
It is fresh and light. Just delicious. All of the recipes I’ve made from your web site have been wonderful. More to come! Thank you Jen
This looks so fresh and I would like to pair it with your chicken tikka masala recipe. However, I do not like onions if they are not cooked. (Even if they are soaked) Would this recipe still work well if I just omitted the red onion? Would I need to make any other alterations if I did that? Or are there other vegetable sides that you would recommend to pair with the chicken tikka masala?
Hi Heather, it’s fine for you to omit the onions if you really don’t enjoy them raw. If you like shallots or chives, feel free to add them. If you’d like to consider other options, roasted asparagus, or curried carrots would also pair nicely with the chicken.
In your “About” section, you state: “On occasion, I’ll adapt a recipe from another source or share favorites from my cookbook collection (sources are always cited within the recipe post and on the printed recipe).” It would be nice if you cited the original recipe, as yours was copied word for word: https://www.seriouseats.com/cucumber-and-mint-salad-recipe
Hi Lydia, that’s actually my recipe that I shared with Serious Eats. You can find my name under the recipe title. 🙂
Had to look–Yup–its your recipe 🙂 Used Mango White Balsamic vinegar and Persian Lime olive oil (So I omitted the sugar) and it was fantastic. Will definitely be making this again!
Love it.
I loved this salad!–just found it a bit too oily. Will cut the oil in half next time. Thanks for sharing!
Jen, thank you for so generously sharing so many amazing and reliable recipes with us, for free. So many of us have adopted them into our weekly routines, and I hope you know how grateful we are! You not only test and perfect them before release, but also offer helpful tips and basically improve our cooking skills with every recipe. I love this summer salad – great way to use my English cucumbers while keeping the mint in my garden in check – and this morning my husband made your egg bites. Absolutely delicious! Cannot wait to make them when the kids visit.