Southern
Yield: 4
Author: Tammy Nichols
Cucumber Salad - Master Cookbook Recipe # 560

Cucumber Salad - Master Cookbook Recipe # 560

This Cucumber Salad is the ultimate light and refreshing side dish, especially during the warm summer months. It’s a simple combination of crisp cucumbers and sharp onions tossed in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette. Letting it sit on the counter for a couple of hours is the old-school secret to making sure that sugar dissolves perfectly into a delicious syrup.

This is recipe #560 in Tammy’s Master Cookbook.

Prep time: 10 minTotal time: 10 min Resting Time: 2 hrs
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups cucumber, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup onion, sliced thin
  • 2 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp oil (olive oil recommended)
  • 1/2 tsp dill weed (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep the Vegetables: Slice your cucumbers and onions as thinly as possible. This helps them soak up the dressing quickly.
  2. Combine: In a medium bowl, add the cucumbers, onions, white vinegar, sugar, oil, and dill weed (if using).
  3. Mix: Toss the ingredients together thoroughly until everything is well-coated.
  4. The "Counter" Trick: Let the salad sit out of the refrigerator at room temperature for about 2 hours. This allows the sugar to completely dissolve and the flavors to marry.
  5. Serve: Give it one final toss and serve with your favorite dinner.
  6. Store: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.

Notes

Tammy's Tips

For the best texture, I recommend using a mandolin to get those cucumbers paper-thin. If you find your cucumbers are particularly watery, you can lightly salt them and let them drain in a colander for 15 minutes before mixing,but for this traditional recipe, that's usually not necessary! This salad is a perfect companion for heavy Southern meals like fried catfish or pork chops.