Simple cucumber salad recipe
Cucumber salad is a timeless side dish that has gained popularity around the world. This light and refreshing salad is easy to prepare and offers a delightful combination of flavors. While there are variations of cucumber salad, such as the creamy version, let’s back to basic: a simple cucumber salad with only light vinegar base.
How to peel cucumber into ribbons?
For even and razor-thin slices of cucumbers and onions, a mandoline slicer or a peeler can help. These kitchen tools ensures precise and consistent cuts, enhancing the presentation and texture of the salad. If you have a mandoline slicer/peeler at your disposal, it is highly recommended to utilize it for this recipe.
In this recipe, we peel cucumber into ribbons, which bring a tastier look for the dish. Carefully use a peeler/ a mandoline slicer to slice the cucumber lengthways into long, thin ribbons.
Sweating cucumbers before mixing
What is “sweating”? Sweating involves using salt to draw out excess moisture from the vegetables, a technique commonly employed when working with ingredients like eggplant.
“Sweating” the cucumbers is an essential step in this recipe. Because the cucumber’s high-water content will result in additional liquid in the salad, it’s worth sweating the cucumber before mixing. It also helps to control the flavor made by vinegar better.
Cucumber salad with onion
Together with cucumber, a few red onion slices will make your salads more delicious. Not only do onions add vibrant color to the salad, but they also provide a pleasant crunch and complementary flavor.
Red onions are particularly well-suited for raw consumption in this dish. To ensure optimal results, slice the onions as thinly as possible. In case you don’t have a red onion on hand, a white onion can be used as a substitute. It’s important to note that a brown onion is not recommended for this recipe due to its highly strong onion smell.
Full Recipe
Let’s jump to the full recipe:
- 1 large cucumbers (any kind)
- 1/2 red or white onion
- 4g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 115g (1/2 cup) white vinegar & 50g (1/4 cup) hot water, or 125g (1/2 cup) balsamic vinegar & 25g (2 tbsp) hot water.
- 15g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
Instruction
- Step 1. Cut off both ends of the cucumber. Carefully use a peeler/ a mandoline slicer to slice the cucumber lengthways into thin, long ribbons. Cut onion into thin slices as well.
- Step 2. (Optional) “Sweat” cucumber ribbons & onion rings by seasoning them with salt in a large bowl and let them rest in 15-30 minutes. It’s optional, if you’re in a hurry, you can skip it.
- Step 3. Add sugar to hot water (or microwave room-temperature water in 30 seconds) and stir to dissolve it. Then, pour vinegar in, stir a bit more to have it well combined.
- Step 4. Drain off all accumulated liquids from cucumber & onion bowl. Pour vinegar dressing into the bowl and stir evenly. You can let it sit for a few minutes or serve immediately.
- Step 5. Drain off a part of liquids in the bowl to serve the salad. Top with a bit dill/chive or other herbs (optional).
All done! Enjoy your salad with baked chicken breast, rice or anything main dishes you love.
Simple Cucumber Salad Recipe
While there are variations of cucumber salad, such as the creamy version, let’s back to basic: a simple cucumber salad with only light vinegar base.
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumbers (any kind)
- 1/2 red or white onion
- 4g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 115g (1/2 cup) white vinegar & 50g (1/4 cup) hot water, or 125g (1/2 cup) balsamic vinegar & 25g (2 tbsp) hot water.
- 15g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Step 1. Cut off both ends of the cucumber. Carefully use a peeler/ a mandoline slicer to slice the cucumber lengthways into thin, long ribbons. Cut onion into thin slices as well.
- Step 2. (Optional) “Sweat” cucumber ribbons & onion rings by seasoning them with salt in a large bowl and let them rest in 15-30 minutes. It's optional, if you're in a hurry, you can skip it.
- Step 3. Add sugar to hot water (or microwave room-temperature water in 30 seconds) and stir to dissolve it. Then, pour vinegar in, stir a bit more to have it well combined.
- Step 4. Drain off all accumulated liquids from cucumber & onion bowl. Pour vinegar dressing into the bowl and stir evenly. You can let it sit for a few minutes or serve immediately.
- Step 5. Drain off a part of liquids in the bowl to serve the salad. Top with a bit dill/chive or other herbs (optional).
Notes
Kitchen Utensil used:
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 300gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 60