Old Fashioned Cucumber and Onion Salad with Vinegar
This is the old-fashioned cucumber salad recipe you’re looking for, just like your mom made. Don’t you remember that big container that was 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!
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
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
Every summer, without fail, Grandma’s Cucumber & Onion Salad becomes the hero of my kitchen. It’s the dish I turn to when the heat waves roll in, and the thought of standing by a hot stove seems unbearable.
I love that I can whip it up, let it chill, and then forget about it while I dive into the day’s adventures—be it a trip to the farmers’ market or a lazy afternoon in the garden.
When dinner time rolls around, and the grill is fired up for some easy-going barbecue, that salad is there: crisp, refreshing, and infused with memories of summers.
FAQs
Sure. They have a slightly milder flavor and add a beautiful pop of color.
Yes, you can adjust the sugar according to your taste or dietary needs. Some folks like to use a sugar substitute, while others find that reducing the amount doesn’t drastically change the overall taste. If you’re cutting it out completely, you might want to experiment with the vinegar ratio to ensure the salad isn’t too tart.
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!
This is the perfect dish to bring a light, fresh flavor to any meal, and it’s so easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, you can have a delicious salad chilling in the fridge, ready to be served whenever you like.
With just the right balance of sweetness and saltiness, the vinegar dressing beautifully complements the crisp cucumber and sharp onion, creating a perfect side dish that everyone will love.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.
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.