This cucumber dill salad is fresh sliced cucumbers, red onions and plenty of dill, all tossed together in a homemade dressing. A super easy side dish that is perfect for those hot summer days!
I eat salads pretty much every day during the warmer weather months. Some of my all time favorites include hearty grilled chicken salad, sweet and refreshing strawberry spinach salad, and this simple but satisfying cucumber dill salad.
In my opinion, you can never go wrong with cucumbers. They’re inexpensive, readily available, refreshing on a hot day, and healthy! This cucumber dill salad has just a handful of ingredients, and can be assembled in minutes. Bring it to a potluck, or serve it alongside grilled chicken, then watch the rave reviews come in.
Cucumber Salad Ingredients
This salad contains just a few ingredients, but is still loaded with flavor. The cucumbers are seasoned with sugar and salt, then combined with red onion and dill to form the base of the salad. The dressing is a simple blend of apple cider vinegar, olive oil and pepper.
How do you make cucumber dill salad?
Start by thinly slicing your cucumbers, then sprinkling them with sugar and salt. This process with flavor the cucumbers, as well as draw out any excess moisture so that you don’t end up with a watery salad. Drain the cucumbers, then add thinly sliced red onion and plenty of fresh dill to the bowl. Next, whisk together a little apple cider vinegar with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers, then toss to coat. Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect salad
- I typically use English cucumbers for this salad as the skins are thin and the seeds are soft. Persian cucumbers also work well. If you use standard waxy cucumbers, I recommend removing the peel and scooping out the seeds. You can even use a mixture of different cucumbers for extra variety!
- Cucumber dill salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container for best results.
- Use a mandoline to quickly and easily cut your cucumbers and onions into thin slices.
- It’s super important to use fresh dill in this salad because it’s the main flavoring agent.
- No apple cider vinegar on hand? This dressing will also work with red wine or white wine vinegar.
Recipe FAQs
Cucumbers do not necessarily need to be refrigerated for food safety purposes. That being said, I prefer to refrigerate cucumbers because they last longer, and tend to have a better texture when chilled.
It is completely fine to eat the peel of the cucumber. Some varieties do have a thicker, waxy skin which can sometimes be less pleasant to eat. If you have a cucumber with a thick skin, you may want to consider peeling it.
A typical cucumber salad consists of thinly sliced cucumber with onion and fresh herbs. A sour cream or oil and vinegar based dressing is used to season the salad.
Cucumber dill salad flavor variations
This salad is so delicious as-is, but you can add other ingredients to really make it special. Depending on the amount of extra items you add, you may also want to consider doubling the amount of dressing.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add extra veggies such as arugula, thinly sliced bell peppers, avocado, cherry tomatoes or even blanched green beans.
- Protein: Make it a meal by adding a can of white beans, or serving the salad with grilled shrimp or chicken on top.
- Cheese: Add a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese for added flavor.
- Flavorings: Amp up the flavor with olives, chives or parsley, or stir some sour cream into the dressing to make a creamy salad.
I make this cucumber dill salad almost every week. Even my kids love this one, and it’s a great way to get your veggies in!
More great salads
Cucumber Dill Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound cucumbers thinly sliced, I prefer English cucumbers
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup red onion very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Place the cucumbers in a large bowl. Add the sugar and salt and toss to combine. Let the cucumbers sit for 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.
- Add the red onion and dill to the bowl with the cucumbers.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, black pepper and olive oil.
- Pour the dressing over the cucumber mixture and gently mix until well combined.
- Let the salad sit for 10 minutes, then serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use.
Notes
- I typically use English cucumbers for this salad as the skins are thin and the seeds are soft. Persian cucumbers are also a good choice. If you use standard waxy cucumbers, I recommend removing the peel and scooping out the seeds.
- Cucumber salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container for best results.
Enjoyed this for lunch today and it did not disappoint! Perfectly crisp and refreshing; a great salad for a hot day!
This is such a fresh and easy salad – made the perfect side dish for our dinner tonight!
I used persian cucumbers cause thats what I had in my fridge. They tasted so good. We loved the crunch along with the tang!
This salad is on repeat in the spring and summer–it’s the perfect, fresh side dish!
This looks fresh and delicious! My grandmother used to make something like this, and I’ve been casting around for a recipe that sounds like hers. This one is very close!
I just love cucumbers! 🙂 This salad looks like a must-make to me.
Super simple, fresh, and delicious! This recipe will be repeated a number of times this summer I can tell. Thanks!
Yum, this cucumber dill salad was spot on and absolutely delicious! Thanks!
This cucumber dill salad is so refreshing. It’s just perfect for the warmer days, and I am certain it’s going to be on repeat all summer long.
Made this and the whole family loved it! Will definitely be making this again and again!