Old Fashioned Cucumber and Onion Salad with Vinegar
This is the old-fashioned cucumber and onion salad with vinegar recipe you’re looking for, just like your mom made. Don’t you remember that big container that was a side dish for every summer meal? There’s a reason this is so popular: it’s a classic that feels like summer, and it’s one of the most budget-friendly side dishes you’ll find. It’s just cucumbers, onion, vinegar, and sugar!
Every summer, without fail, I make this. It’s the dish I turn to when the heat wave rolls in, and the thought of standing by a hot stove seems unbearable (cause it is!). I love that I can whip it up, let it chill, and then forget about it. Just put it on the table for a few nights until it’s gone.
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
You probably already have these or can easily pick up some cucumbers and onions from the grocery store. Although you don’t need it, I do recommend using a mandolin slicer if you have one for thin, even slices. But if not, don’t go buying one just for this. (Unless you want to. They are pretty handy.)
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Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp knife (or Mandolin slicer if you have it)
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers
- ½ small white onion (soak the slices in ice water for about 10 to 15 minutes before adding them to the salad for a milder flavor)
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 4 teaspoons sugar (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon salt
How to Make Cucumber and Onion Salad
Step 1: Make The Dressing. Combine the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
Step 2: Prep The Veggies. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into ¼ inch thin slices. Cut the onion into very thin slices. Soak the onion slices in ice water for a milder flavor.
Step 3: Combine And Chill. Put the veggies in a mixing bowl and pour the dressing on top. Stir to combine, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Serving and Storing Cucumber Onion Salad
This is a great salad to make ahead of time, but you can’t freeze it.
- After mixing, if you’re not serving the salad immediately, cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the salad to an airtight container.
- Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The flavors will develop over time, but the cucumbers will gradually lose their crispness.
- Before serving again, stir the salad to redistribute the dressing and flavors.
Make It Your Own
You can adjust this salad however you want. It’s pretty flexible.
- To mellow the sharpness of the white onion, you can soak the slices in ice water for about 10 to 15 minutes before adding them to the salad. This step makes the onions milder for those who might find raw onions too overpowering.
- Add some fresh dill, parsley, or even mint just before serving for an extra layer of flavor. (I rarely do this, so don’t feel bad if you don’t either!)
- If you have a bit of extra time, try salting your cucumber slices before adding them to the salad so they’ll release less water. Lay them out on a paper towel, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and let them sit for about 30 minutes.
- If you like a bit of spice, sprinkle some red pepper flakes into the salad.
Questions and Troubleshooting
It doesn’t really matter. Yellow onions, red onions, or a sweet white like a Vidalia onion will all work well.
Yes, you can adjust the sugar depending on what you like. If you’re cutting it out completely, change the vinegar amount so the salad isn’t too tart.
Plain old white! You can try apple cider vinegar, but we prefer white.
You can use English cucumbers (“regular cucumbers”) or Armenian cucumbers, which are a bit easier to get out of season.
More Fresh Summer Sides You’ll Love
Hot days call for cold side dishes. Serve these with something on the grill.
- My favorite potato salad EVER! It has tons of flavor from celery seed, hardboiled eggs, and soft redskin potatoes. So good!
- A creamy macaroni salad, with a twist. This Old Bay shrimp macaroni salad is delicious and makes a great lunch all by itself.
- Don’t forget about chips, pretzels, or something pre-made. You don’t have to make everything yourself!
Printable Recipe
Grandma’s Cucumber & Onion Salad {Simple!}
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers
- ½ small white onion
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 4 teaspoons sugar (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon salt
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Instructions
- Make the dressing. Combine the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
- Prep the veggies. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Cut into ¼ inch thin slices. Cut the onion into very thin slices.
- Combine and chill. Put the veggies in a mixing bowl and pour the dressing on top. Stir to combine, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
this is how my mom prepared it for my dad growing up, and just the recipe I was looking for.
Delicious!
Thank you Thank you!! You got these so right! I’m seventy plus, used to make these like Granny since I was a girl! Sad to say I never wrote the recipe down, who could forget something so simple! We’ll I did and try as I may they never tasted quite right! So I started looking for this recipe and it’s amazing what people add to these!😁 Nothing Granny ever had in her country kitchen!
So again that you! God Bless you and keep you in his loving arms!
hi conni! so happy i could help you relive granny’s recipe! she knew how to keep it simple, right. 😊
Yes I made this! Just the recipe we were looking for. I actually tripled it so it would cover more of the veggies. Hubby likes to add cut up on the vine tomatoes to this. He loved it. It’s a keeper & I have it written down in my favorite recipe book.
My sister-in-laws Mother has made this for my family for years,She is in her 90s now and this is the flrst time this summer is not doing a garden. And so she will not be making my fav cucumber salad, I asked her daughter for the reciepe she told me her mom took all the water out of the cuc by putting salt all over them then rinsing them off before making the cuc salad .could this be true? It seems like a lot of work. Have you ever heard of such a thing?? I know she wont give me the recipe…..
Hey Mary, I’ve never heard of that but I could see doing it if you wanted the salad to last days and days in the fridge. I find that scooping out the insides helps a lot though. Bring her some cucucumbers and ask her to make it and just secretly take notes! I bet it’s similar to this one 🙂
“Salting the cucumbers” is normally done for Tzatziki sauce~ You skin them as you would, quarter them lengthways, and cover them with kosher salt~ You leave them in the fridge, on a rack, over night, and you’ll have a a puddle under them in the morning! RINSE THEM THOROUGHLY!! Soak them if you need to in cold water, and they don’t leach moisture into the greek yogurt~ It turns into a mess, if you don’t! bon appétit!
Can u use fresh tomatoes in this???? How would u do it?
I would add a firm tomato like roma, diced it up, and add it with the cucumbers. Should be just fine 🙂
Tastes just like my grandma use to make! So easy, simple, & cheap!
yes emily, you hit the nail on the head! thanks for trying it! 🙂
Was just double-checking my recollection of how my Mom would throw this together in the summertime. It seems almost too easy and I thought I was missing something, but nope! So good.
Yes it’s hard to believe how easy it is!! And cheap! 🙂
I use seedless or English cucumbers, no need to remove seeds; also peel the thin skin in stripes, so pretty when sliced
Absolutely the best! Will be serving all summer at my Cook outs! Thanks!
This sounds so good. Anxious to try.