Cucumber Salad
Cucumber salad is a summertime must make recipe! This very simple salad recipe really highlights the natural flavors of cucumbers with minimal ingredients that might already be in your kitchen now. Dill weed and lemon juice/zest are the ingredients that really pop here, lending lots of natural flavors without overpowering the cucumbers.
This lemon and balsamic cucumber salad recipe is a huge hit at our picnics, backyard BBQ parties, and all summer long. So as my cucumber tomato salad and Asian cucumber salad. That’s because they are light, refreshing, and all take 10 minutes to make!
And when I say this is an easy recipe, I really mean it. The most effort that goes into slicing the cucumbers. If you have a mandoline slicer, it will take you just about two minutes to slice all of the cucumbers. I highly recommend using the slicer because it’s so fast and all the slices come out even and it’s so quick!
Ingredient Tips Before Shopping
Cucumbers – Choose any cucumbers you like but I highly recommend that you choose English cucumbers. They have thinner skin and it’s good for keeping skin on to save the nutrients.
Vinegar – White balsamic vinegar is the best one for this salad because it’s light, crisp, and fruity. White balsamic adds great vinegar flavor without overpowering other ingredients. If you do need to substitute it, use white wine vinegar.
Oil – For the best flavor, I recommend using a good quality olive oil with neutral taste or avocado oil.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
- Rinse the cucumber, pat them dry and slice them thinly.
- Combine everything together in a bowl.
- Toss everything together and taste for seasoning.
Peeling The Cucumber Or Not
You can peel the cucumber, especially if they have thick skin, but I like to leave the skin on. Cucumber’s skin is where the majority of the nutrients are stored. Plus, if you use English cucumbers you really won’t have to worry about peeling them because its skin is more delicate and thin.
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Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs English cucumbers
- 2 ripe lemons – zest and juice
- 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh dill weed minced
- salt
Instructions
- Make sure to wash cucumbers before making the salad.PRO TIP: Cucumbers are the star of the dish so make sure you like the taste of each cucumber. Take a slice from each one and taste it before adding to the salad. Yes, there can be 1 bitter cucumber in a batch and it will effect the taste of the whole salad.
- Slice cucumbers thinly. (Best and easiest way to slice cucumbers is to use a mandoline slicer.)
- Place sliced cucumbers into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, oil, dill weed, and salt. Whisk it all together and add the mixture to the cucumbers.
- Mix cucumbers with the dressing until all evenly coated. Make sure to taste to see if you need to add more salt.
- Store cucumber salad in refrigerator, in an air-tight container, until ready to use.
Notes
- Cucumber: I highly recommend using an English cucumber because they have nice and thin skin so you don’t need to peel it and therefore, you keep all the nutrients.
- Using mandoline slicer: To reduce the risk of serious injury, please do not use a mandoline by holding the food in your hand! Use the special holder or use cut resistant gloves. If you don’t have a mandoline slicer available, use a sharp knife.
- Make ahead: I actually encourage making this cucumber salad ahead of time, even if it’s just a couple of hours. Letting the cucumbers sit in the dressing mixture will infuse them with lots of flavor. This cucumber salad can be made ahead as little a 2 hours or as much as 1 day. I wouldn’t make it ahead any more than a day because the cucumbers will start to get softer. Make sure to mix the salad well before serving.
- Storing: Store leftover cucumber salad in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator. Cucumber salad will stay good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, but the cucumbers will start to get a little softer after 2 days.
Nutrition
More Summer Salad Recipes to Try
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Delicious, quick and easy! A hit with the family!
Thank you!!!