You’ll feel cool as a cucumber eating this super refreshing side dish!
Whenever I’m serving a super rich or deeply savory dish, like BBQ or curry, I always like to include a lighter side that offers the taste buds a bit of a reprieve. Cooking well is all about balance, after all, and no one wants a table full of heavy dishes. If I’m roasting a chicken with potatoes, for example, I’ll also add a vibrant and healthy salad. I find this cucumber salad to be the perfect palate cleanser. It’s refreshing, herbaceous, and slightly sweet from the honey, but it’s also nice and tangy. For such a simple dish with only five ingredients (plus salt and pepper), it has a lot of complexity!
The best part about this cucumber salad is that the flavors continue to develop and deepen the longer it sits, becoming more and more pickle-like. The cukes have a great crunchy texture, too. Perfect for summer menus and outdoor gatherings, the high water content in the cucumbers makes this salad delightfully cooling. You can whip it up in just 10 minutes, and let it chill in the fridge until it’s time to serve. Talk about being equal parts effortless and delicious!
Is This Cucumber Salad Healthy?
This is definitely a dish that you can enjoy a big helping of without any guilt! Cucumbers and onions, the two main ingredients of this salad, are both rich in nutrients while also being low in fat and calories. The high water content of cucumbers also makes them a good source of hydration. In addition, apple cider vinegar and honey both bring probiotic goodness to your gut microbiome. These ingredients are truly a match made in heaven—perfect for Paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets. It’s also easy to make this recipe vegan-friendly by swapping the honey for agave nectar.
Should I Peel The Cucumbers?
This recipe calls for English cucumbers, which have a thin, tender skin that doesn’t need to be peeled. If you can’t find English cucumbers at the grocery store, Persian cucumbers are another variety that doesn’t require peeling (but they are smaller in size than English ones, so you’d need to use more of them). If you use standard garden cucumbers, which are larger in size and have a waxy, tough skin, then I’d recommend peeling them first.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Cucumber salad only gets better as it sits and marinates in the apple cider vinegar and honey, so making it ahead and storing it in the fridge is a great way to enjoy an even tastier snack for later! Just make sure your cucumber salad is stored in an airtight container and keep it in your fridge for 3 to 4 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing your leftovers because the high water content in the cucumbers could cause them to become mushy when thawed.
Serving Suggestions
Cucumber salad is bright, colorful, and refreshing, making it a perfect pairing for any dish requiring a zippy bite to slice through the savoriness! Try pairing your cucumber salad with Roasted Chicken, Baked BBQ Chicken Wings, Whole30 Sloppy Joes (or Vegan Sloppy Joes), or Curry Noodles.
Taking your cucumber salad to a picnic? It also goes great with lots of summer BBQ fare, like Air-Fryer Hamburgers, Black Bean Burgers, Ina Garten’s Potato Salad, and Grilled Corn On The Cob.
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, honey, and kosher salt until well blended.
- Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and onions, tossing to coat evenly. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Before serving, sprinkle with fresh dill and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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