Old Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar is an easy-to-make, light, simple side dish that’s perfect for summer.
There’s no dairy so it’s great to bring to potlucks and barbecues.
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Why I love this easy recipe for Cucumber and Onions
- Easy to make – other than slicing the cucumbers and onion, this recipe really is just mixing together all of your ingredients. Minimal work for maximum flavor! It’s a simple recipe that’s easy to throw together.
- Simple ingredients – you only need a few simple ingredients. This recipe doesn’t require anything difficult to find. You can find all of these ingredients in most standard grocery stores.
- Light and refreshing – with the crisp flavor of fresh cucumbers and no heavy dressing, it makes a perfect light and refreshing side dish. It’s a great summer salad for a hot summer day.
- Great for potlucks and barbecues – the recipe is naturally dairy-free so it’s excellent for taking to potlucks and barbecues and not having to worry about a sour cream or mayo-based dressing. It’s a great alternative to pasta salads as a side dish.
- Make in advance – it’s easy to make in advance. It actually tastes better once it’s had a chance to marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes so making it a little in advance helps!
What you’ll need for Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar
- English cucumber – you’ll want to use English or Persian cucumbers. Standard American cucumbers have a waxy exterior and hard seeds.
- Red onion – be sure to slice it thin to help with some of the “bite” of raw onion
- Rice vinegar – rice vinegar gives the best mild vinegar flavor
- Honey – the honey adds a touch of sweetness to cut through the strong flavors of onion and vinegar
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper – be sure to use coarse kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper for the best flavor
- Fresh dill – fresh dill adds the perfect pickling flavor. I always recommend using fresh herbs in this.
Substitutions and Alterations to this recipe for Cucumbers and Onions
- Rice vinegar – you can replace the rice vinegar with white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar. You could also use apple cider vinegar. I don’t recommend using plain white vinegar.
- Honey – Some people replace honey with white sugar. Sometimes even a cup sugar. I don’t recommend this method. The sugar doesn’t fully dissolve and can result in a gritty vinegar mixture.
- Red onion – if you want to have a milder flavor of onion, you can replace the red onion with shallots. I don’t recommend using white onion or Vidalia onion because their flavor is much stronger.
- Add tomatoes – tomatoes make a great addition to this salad and will soak up all the delicious flavors of the dressing.
- Add feta cheese – to add a little protein, feta cheese makes a great addition.
- Add red pepper flakes – if you want a little bit of heat and spice in your cucumber salad, add some red pepper flakes to the dressing.
How to make Cucumbers and Onions
Detailed instructions and measurements to make old fashioned cucumbers and onions in vinegar are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Slice the cucumber in thin slices. If you don’t plan to marinate it for very long, try to go with thinner slices.
2. Add the cucumbers to a medium mixing bowl.
3. Slice the red onion very thin. The red onion will be raw, so be sure to get your slices as thin as possible.
A sharp knife works just fine, but using a mandoline for this part works really well if you have one. Be careful as it’s very easy to cut yourself using them.
4. Add the thinly sliced red onion to the mixing bowl with the cucumber slices.
5. Add the rice vinegar, honey, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to the mixing bowl with the cucumber and red onion slices and mix to combine. Make sure everything is completely coated in the dressing.
6. Chop up the fresh dill. It doesn’t have to be tiny, but be sure no one will be biting into a large chunk of dill. You want it to mix in well with the remaining ingredients.
7. Add the fresh dill to the mixing bowl and thoroughly mix to combine. You can serve it immediately, but it’s better after it’s had about 30 minutes to marinate in the refrigerator.
How to serve this Cucumber and Onion in Vinegar side dish
Cucumber salad goes really well with grilled food. My favorites are:
Old Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar tips and tricks
- Be sure to slice cucumbers thin. If you don’t plan to let it marinate in the refrigerator at all, slice them extra thin.
- A mandoline works really well for slicing the cucumbers and onion. Be careful when using it as it’s very easy to cut yourself using one.
Cucumbers and Onions FAQs
If you use Persian or English cucumbers you do not need to peel them.
Yes, you can mix the vinegar dressing together in advance and then add the cucumbers and onion when you’re ready to serve.
Yes, that’s why the type of vinegar you use matters.
You can keep cucumbers and onions in vinegar in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
How to store Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar
Cucumber and onion salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The flavors will marinate together the longer it sits in the fridge. Both the cucumbers and the onion will soften as it marinates.
After 3 days, the cucumbers will lose their crisp, crunch.
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Cucumber and Onion in Vinegar
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 whole english cucumber thinly sliced
- ¼ large red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Slice the cucumber in thin slices. If you don't plan to marinate it for very long, try to go with thinner slices.
- Add the cucumbers to a medium mixing bowl.
- Slice the red onion very thin. The red onion will be raw, so be sure to get your slices as thin as possible. Using a mandoline for this part works really well if you have one, but be careful as it's very easy to cut yourself using them.
- Add the thinly sliced red onion to the mixing bowl with the cucumber slices.
- Add the rice vinegar, honey, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to the mixing bowl with the cucumber and red onion slices and mix to combine. Make sure everything is completely coated in the dressing.
- Chop up the fresh dill. It doesn't have to be tiny, but be sure no one will be biting into a large chunk of dill. You want it to mix in well with the remaining ingredients.
- Add the fresh dill to the mixing bowl and thoroughly mix to combine. You can serve it immediately, but it's better after it's had about 30 minutes to marinate in the refrigerator.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It should only be used for estimation purposes and is not a guarantee of any kind. Nutritional information varies widely between brands and types of ingredients used.
It is recommended that you calculate the nutritional information based on your own ingredients and brands used. Sweetly Splendid, LLC makes no guarantees as to the exact nutrition information.
Just like I make but some times I make using sour cream!