This simple cucumber salad with vinegar and red onion makes a light and refreshing addition to your summer meal.
I was a terribly picky eater when I was a child (read: My Picky Eater Recovery). There’s a long list of foods that I wouldn’t eat then that I love now. This cucumber salad with vinegar is one of them. I grew up seeing it on the table–especially in the summertime when my parents pick loads of fresh cucumbers from their garden–but I never tried it until I was an adult.
And now I want to eat it all the time!
This salad would make an easy, seasonal side dish for dinner or lunch.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
What kind of vinegar do you use for cucumber salad?
- Cucumber salad with rice vinegar: This vinegar is sweet and light-tasting
- Cucumber salad with apple cider vinegar: This vinegar will give your salad a tart flavor
- Cucumber salad with red wine vinegar: You’ll get more “bite” with this vinegar
What kind of onions do you use with cucumber salad?
- Red onion: These give cucumber salad a great color, may be slightly spicy, and are good eaten raw
- Sweet onion (such as Vidalia): These onions are white inside, obviously have a sweet flavor, and can be used raw
- Yellow onions: These are typically used for cooking
What can you put in cucumber salad?
- A small handful of chopped, fresh dill or parsley
- Chopped fresh tomatoes
- A sprinkle of sugar (keep in mind that seasoned rice vinegar is already sweet)
Is Cucumber Salad Healthy?
Yes! Cucumbers contain a little bit of vitamin K, which helps blood clot normally. They also have a bit of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Cucumbers also pack a lot of water (they’re 96 percent water!) which means they’re filling and low in calories. Onions also contain disease-fighting compounds–and the pigment in the red onions in this recipe work as antioxidants in the body.
Enjoy!
Cucumber Salad With Vinegar
This simple cucumber salad with vinegar makes a light and refreshing addition to your summer meal.
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon water
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place sliced cucumbers and red onion in a small bowl.
- Add vinegar and water and toss to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 42Sodium: 378mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
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Marilyn Wright Yon, MS, RD, LD says
I was just thinking last week I wish I could find a simple cucumber salad recipe (or one with cukes, tomatoes, onions) like we had as kids. All I found seemed wrong and more complicated than necessary. This sounds more like what we had. Thanks.
Sally says
Marilyn–So glad you found this one! 🙂
Margaret Sutter says
Tomatoes with olive oil with a little garlic or red onion or just tomatoes with olive oil & seasoning. ::My mother made it all the time. Use Mrs Dash or chives & a little salt & pepper. Vinegar & olive oil dressing delicious. Cucumbers & red onion plus olive oil & vinegar . Easy kids might like refreshing
Marilyn Wright Yon, MS, RD, LD says
And I have plenty of cucumbers coming in right now.
Sally says
Me too. Tis the season!
Marilyn Wright Yon, MS, RD, LD says
Chilling now for dinner.
Rebecca Bitzer & Associates says
My neighbor has a garden in his back yard and he always sends over tons of cucumbers (which we can never say no to). When it get to be too many, we love to make this. Great recipe!
Sally says
Rebecca–Great to have a neighbor who’s a gardener!
Rebecca says
YUM! Who woulda known how amazing such a simple recipe would be! Can’t wait to get to pickling!
Sally says
Rebecca–yep, sometimes simple is the best!
Maryann says
My mom made this salad a lot growing up (minus the red ionion). I have alwasy been nuetral on cucumbers, even now. But this sounds perfect for a hot day!
Lauren Harris-Pincus says
Sounds so good and super easy!
Julie says
Looks so simple! Now I know what to do with my cucumber slices when I’m done putting them on my face 😀
Alex says
I tweaked it with a dash of cumin. Great recipe!
Sally says
Sounds great!
Edgar says
Thanks for the healthy recipe Sally 🙂
Dave says
Just gave this a try! Loved it, thank you so much
jack burton says
We make our own flavored vinegar from our garden herbs so we always have a dozen different kinds or so kinds around the home to choose from. Keeps the dish from getting stale from overuse. This works well with most anything, including chive vinegar, mint vinegar, and cilantro vinegar. Sometimes I throw in a splash of jalapeno vinegar to spark it up. We often use seasoned rice vinegar also. My wife’s favorite is balsamic vinegar.
We never put sugar in there.