Quick and Easy Sweet Cucumber Salad made with crisp cucumbers, slices of red onion and fresh dill all tossed in a tangy vinaigrette that comes together in less than 10 minutes! Perfect summer side dish that is light and refreshing!
This quick and easy cucumber salad recipe was first shared on my site over 12 years ago and is one I just love so much! The perfect summer meal that comes together in minutes. I happen to have SO many varieties of cucumbers that I need to use up so this is the best way to use them. This classic cucumber salad is light, refreshing and super easy to make. The perfect summertime side dish to enjoy alongside all those heavier, meatier dishes! You only need a few simple ingredients and the whole thing comes together in less than 10 minutes for the best cucumber salad recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- This healthy cucumber onion salad is loaded with crisp cucumber, red onion slices all tossed in a tangy dressing!
- You only need a few simple ingredients to make this refreshing flavorful salad in under 10 minutes. Perfect for those hot summer days!
- Easily customizable and can always throw in extra veggies.
- Can easily be prepped ahead of time for quick assembly and meal prep.
- Great recipe for a low-calorie diet.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- cucumbers – I like to use English cucumbers as they have fewer seeds, thinner skins and tend to be less watery and more crunchy than regular cucumbers. Persian cucumbers, mini cucumbers or Japanese cucumbers work great too. Feel free to use whatever kind of cucumbers you like best. I personally like to leave the skin on them, but feel free to peel the cucumbers if you prefer.
- red onion – adds a nice savory flavor to this salad as well as a good crunch! You could also use a sweet onion, green onions or even sliced shallots.
- white wine vinegar – adds some zip to this salad. You could also use red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.
- honey – adds the perfect touch of sweetness, feel free to use maple syrup if vegan.
- fresh dill– gives this salad that delicious fresh taste. You could use other fresh herbs too like parsley, basil or fresh mint.
- salt + pepper – brings all the flavors together.
How to Make Sweet Cucumber Salad
- Salt and drain cucumbers. After you slice the fresh cucumbers into thin slices (or half moons) using a sharp knife or mandoline, place the cucumbers in a colander in the sink and sprinkle them with a little salt. This is a little trick I do that helps draw out excess water from the cucumbers keeping them nice and crisp for our salad. Then just pat them with a paper towel.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the white vinegar and honey until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Toss together the salad! Add the sliced cucumbers, red onion and dill to a large bowl and stir everything together with the sweet vinaigrette. Take a bite and season with sea salt and black pepper, as needed. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Other Fun Additions
- Make it creamy – add in about a 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or rich sour cream to make this a deliciously creamy cucumber salad recipe! Feta cheese or crumbled goat cheese would taste great too.
- Add a protein – protein-packed chickpeas are a great addition to this salad or a meat-based protein such as shredded chicken, tuna or salmon.
- More veggies – add more nutrition to this salad with fresh veggies such as cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, bell peppers or chopped avocado for a delicious avocado salad.
- Make it a salad – throw it in a salad bowl with some leafy greens like fresh arugula, romaine or other lettuce to make a whole salad. Here are more easy salad recipes.
- As a side dish – serve alongside grilled chicken breast, flavorful salmon and shirmp, or savory pork chops for the perfect side dish.
- Add pasta – throw in some noodles and make a delicious pasta salad perfect for a summer picnic on a hot day.
- Boosts of flavor – add even more flavor to this salad by mixing in a little garlic with the vinegar dressing or add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Another great way to make this cucumber salad is infusing it Asian flavors! I like to throw a simple recipe together of soy sauce, sesame oil, tangy vinegar, garlic, ginger and a little chili crisp for the best flavor. You could also chop up some Thai basil which is the perfect herb to mix in with it. Make your own versions of this, so good!
Prepping and Storage
To Make Ahead: To prep this salad ahead of time, simply pre-slice the cucumbers and red onion. Follow the instructions on draining the excess moisture out of the cucumbers first. Store them in a separate container from the cucumber salad dressing in the fridge to prevent the salad from getting too soggy. When ready to serve, toss the salad together as directed.
To Store: This salad can be stored in a sealed, airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge and will last for about 2 to 3 days.
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More Cucumber Recipes
- Tomato, Cucumber and Chickpea Salad
- Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Rainbow Orzo Salad
- Fresh Mojito Melon Salsa
Fresh Summer Salads
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Strawberry Balsamic Salad
- Healthy Greek Salad
- Raspberry Walnut Salad with Chicken
- Healthy Broccoli Salad
Hope you all enjoy this Sweet Cucumber Salad and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Quick and Easy Sweet Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey, or maple syrup
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the sliced cucumbers place in a colander in the sink and sprinkle them with salt. This is a little trick I do that helps draw out excess moisture from the cucumbers, keeping them nice and crisp for our salad.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the white vinegar and honey until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Add the cucumbers, red onion and fresh dill to a large bowl and toss with the sweet vinaigrette. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Cover and chill the salad in the fridge for about 15 to 30 minutes before serving, enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My mother is a huge cucumber salad fan, though I was never a huge enthusiast. The dill sounds like a great addition, though!
Pretty pictures!! 🙂
I love cucumbers! They are so refreshing for salads!
This looks delicious. I love dill and have a great chopped romaine and dill salad with a simple lemon dressing that I love too.
Mmm! I love salads, too! Especially super simple veggie ones like this. Love the idea of adding a sprinkle of sweetness, too – will definitely have to try that!
I love this salad! I love dill and cucumber together! Supper yummy!!
Yum! I can practically taste this right now. And only 33 calories!?
I’ve been dying to make some photo boards! Jealous.
Yum, I am going to make that tonight with dinner! Thanks! =)
This looks amazing! I’ve been wanting to make this after seeing something like it in cooks illustrated 🙂 Winning Salad…and GO CAPS!