Creamy Cucumber Onion Salad is a light and refreshing side salad. It’s quick and easy and it’s perfect for those hot summer days. Especially if you love things that are cool, crunchy, and delicious.
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Why this Cucumber Salad Recipe is a Keeper
I love this recipe because it’s fresh, cool, and crisp. It’s unique and super easy to make, making it perfect to bring to summer picnics. It is easy to make ahead. This salad is a perfect treat for cucumber lovers.
- 10 Minute Prep: Before chilling, this onion cucumber salad recipe will be ready in 10 minutes.
- Easy Ingredients: You’ll only need 7 ingredients for this easy side. Make the dressing in advance and store in a small bowl until ready to mix.
- Family Friendly: This summer side salad recipe will be a hit at your next potluck. I have been making this salad all my life.
- Adaptable: Use a low-calorie mayo to make the best cucumber salad recipe even healthier. Dress up this salad with your favorite seasonings.
If you’re looking for more salad recipes, try these Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, Jennifer Aniston Salad and Caprese Salad.
What Cucumber is Best for this Recipe?
I like to use thinly sliced cucumbers fresh from the garden but you can use Persian cucumbers, english cucumbers or whatever variation you like. Fun fact, cucumbers can be used to relieve sunburn!
Ingredient Notes to Make Cucumber Salad
You will need just a few simple ingredients that all easy to find at your local grocery store, or you might already have on hand. My grandmother used to make this and my mom used to make this salad too.
- Cucumber: I like to make my fresh cucumbers slices as thin as possible. Great from the garden on the farm.
- White Wine Vinegar: White vinegar helps to make this salad refreshing and tangy. You could also use apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Onion: Again, make thin slices for this creamy cucumber salad recipe. You could use red or Vidalia onions.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for Cucumber Onion Salad
- Sour cream: You could use sour cream in this recipe if you’d like!
- Dressing: In place of mayo, try using ranch salad dressing or your favorite simple vinegar dressing.
Special Equipment Needed for Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Mandolin: A mandolin will come in handy when you slice cucumbers and red onion.
Pro Tip for the Best Cucumber Salad
Wait until right before serving to add the creamy dressing. After adding sauce, the salad will only stay fresh for about 2-3 hours if refrigerated.
How to Make Cucumber and Onion Salad and Salad Dressing
This cucumber onion salad recipe can be made in an easy 2 steps.
These are the basic steps for making Creamy Cucumber Onion Salad. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Sweet and Tangy Vinegar Dressing
In a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, vinegar, fresh dill, sugar and All Purpose Seasoning.
2. Assemble Salad, Pour Dressing on Top & Chill
Slice the cucumbers and onions, adding them to the salad. Stir until fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Slice Cucumber and Onion Salad Recipe FAQs
Store unassembled easy cucumber salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Your salad could be runny if you added too much vinegar or ranch dressing. When you cut the cucumbers, cut extra to account for potential extra sauce.
Absolutely! This summer salad recipe is super easy to customize to your liking.
Try pat drying your cucumbers before adding them, as well as sprinkling them with a little salt.
Expert Tips for Making This Side Dish Recipe
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a potluck. Increase ingredients proportionately and split it into two dishes.
- Fresh Ingredients: Try and get the freshest ingredients that you can. I love shopping farmers markets for the freshest veggies and herbs.
- Mayo Substitution: Try using greek yogurt or sour cream to make this sweet onion salad, you could even combine them.
- Different Flavor: Try adding in some chopped dill pickle for more dill flavor. You can also add a little sugar to amp the sweetness.
- Other Veggies: Try a little fennel, sliced tomato, or red onion slices to change up the flavor.
- Cheese: This easy cucumber onion salad would be great topped with a little feta cheese.
- Salt and Pepper: Crack some fresh ground black pepper and salt on top of this summertime salad.
What to Serve with the Best Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe
- Sweet and Spicy Pickles
- Ham and Veggie Sushi Rolls
- Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
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Creamy Cucumber Onion Salad
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Ingredients
- 3 cups English cucumbers, Thinly sliced,if using regular cucumbers, peel them first
- 1 cup Onion, Thinly sliced,
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dried dill
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, vinegar, dill, sugar and All Purpose Seasoning.
- Add cucumber and onions; stir until fully coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Christina’s Notes
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a potluck. Increase ingredients proportionately and split it into two dishes.
- Fresh Ingredients: Try and get the freshest ingredients that you can. I love shopping farmers markets for the freshest veggies and herbs.
- Mayo Substitution: Try using greek yogurt or sour cream to make this sweet onion salad, you could even combine them.
- Different Flavor: Try adding in some chopped dill pickle for more dill flavor. You can also add a little sugar to amp the sweetness.
- Other Veggies: Try a little fennel, sliced tomato, or red onion slices to change up the flavor.
- Cheese: This easy cucumber onion salad would be great topped with a little feta cheese.
- Salt and Pepper: Crack some fresh ground black pepper and salt on top of this summertime salad.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Very good cucumber onion salad
Thanks
This is an old standard recipe that never fails! Grew up on this dish and I’m in my Late 70’s. People try to make things more fancy or but twists on things but sometimes simple is better. The ingredients work perfectly together. No need to improve.
This is hands down my favorite cucumber salad! So easy to make and the flavor is awesome.
I love the simplicity and elegance of this. Thank you so much!
This salad was so tasty and refreshing! Ended up adding the feta cheese and it was perfect!
This easy recipe has become our favorite side dish recently! I double the recipe and we have it all week!
So light and so refreshing! We all loved this one!