Quick & Tangy Joy Of Cooking Cucumber Salad Recipe

Joy of Cooking’s cucumber salad transforms ordinary vegetables into a crisp, vibrant culinary experience.

Cool and invigorating, this simple recipe captures summer’s essence with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor.

Fresh cucumbers become the star of a light, zesty dish that awakens taste buds.

Crisp textures and bright notes dance together, creating a refreshing side that complements countless meals.

Delicate seasonings elevate humble ingredients into something truly memorable and delightful.

Preparation requires just a few moments, making this salad perfect for spontaneous gatherings or quick weeknight dinners.

Home cooks can easily master this straightforward technique that delivers maximum satisfaction with minimal effort: prepare to fall in love with your new favorite summer recipe.

Cucumber Salad Bliss: Why You’ll Love It

• Refresh with Crisp Coolness: This cucumber salad delivers an incredibly refreshing experience, perfect for hot summer days when you need something light and invigorating to beat the heat.
• Quick Kitchen Magic: With just 15 minutes of preparation time, this recipe transforms simple ingredients into a delightful side dish that requires minimal effort and maximum flavor.
• Tangy Sweet Symphony: The combination of vinegar and sugar creates a mouthwatering balance of tangy and sweet notes that dance across your taste buds, making each bite exciting and memorable.
• Chill and Enhance: Letting the salad rest in the refrigerator for an hour allows the flavors to meld together, creating a more complex and deeply satisfying dish that tastes even better as it sits.

Crisp & Cool: Cucumber Salad Ingredients

• Cucumber: Crisp and cool vegetable that forms the base of the salad, look for firm and bright green cucumbers without soft spots.
• Onion: Adds sharp flavor and crunch to the salad, white or red onions work well for this recipe.

• Vinegar: Provides tangy flavor and helps pickle the vegetables, white or apple cider vinegar are classic choices.
• Sugar: Balances the vinegar's acidity and creates a sweet-and-sour profile, granulated white sugar recommended.
• Water: Helps dilute the vinegar and create the pickling liquid.

• Dill: Adds fresh, herbal notes that complement the cucumber's coolness, fresh dill recommended for best flavor.

Tossed to Perfection: Salad Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Vegetables

Wash and thinly slice 1 medium cucumber and 1/2 medium onion. Combine the sliced vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Create Tangy Pickling Liquid

• White vinegar
• Water
• Granulated sugar

Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar completely dissolves and the liquid reaches a gentle boil.

Step 3: Dress and Chill Salad

Pour the hot pickling liquid directly over the cucumber and onion slices. Sprinkle fresh chopped dill into the bowl and gently stir to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld and vegetables to marinate. The salad will become crisp, tangy, and refreshingly cool. Serve chilled as a perfect side dish for summer meals or barbecues.

Handy Tips for a Refreshing Cucumber Salad

• Maximize Flavor Absorption: Slice cucumbers paper-thin using a mandoline to ensure every morsel soaks up the tangy dressing perfectly.
• Balance Sweet and Tart: Start with reduced sugar, tasting and adjusting until you hit that magical flavor sweet spot that makes taste buds dance.
• Elevate with Fresh Herbs: Swap dried dill for vibrant fresh dill, transforming an ordinary cucumber salad into a garden-fresh sensation that screams summer.
• Strategic Marinating Magic: Allow cucumbers and onions to mingle in the vinegar mixture overnight, letting flavors marry and develop intense, complex taste profiles.
• Chill for Crunch Preservation: Refrigerate salad just before serving to maintain that crisp cucumber texture and keep ingredients refreshingly cool.

Simple Storage for a Crisp Salad

• Vacuum Sealing: Lock in freshness by using a vacuum sealer to remove air completely. Transfer the cucumber salad into vacuum-seal bags, press out excess air, and seal tightly. This method preserves crisp textures and prevents flavor degradation for up to 4 days.
• Glass Container Technique: Select wide-mouth glass containers with tight-fitting lids for optimal storage. Glass prevents flavor absorption and maintains the salad's original taste profile better than plastic containers. Keep the container's bottom dry to prevent soggy ingredients.
• Drainage Strategy: Place a paper towel inside the storage container to absorb excess moisture. This simple trick prevents cucumber slices from becoming waterlogged and maintains their delightful crunch. Gently replace the paper towel if it becomes saturated during refrigeration.

Cucumber Salad Makeovers: Tasty Variations

• Garden Fresh Herb Blend: Swap dill with a mix of fresh parsley, chives, and mint for a vibrant, aromatic cucumber salad that bursts with herbal flavors.
• Spicy Pickled Version: Add red pepper flakes or sliced jalapeños to create a zesty, heat-packed side dish that tingles your taste buds and adds excitement to the plate.
• Mediterranean Cucumber Remix: Incorporate crumbled feta cheese, kalamata olives, and a drizzle of olive oil to transform the traditional recipe into a Greek-inspired refreshing salad.
• Asian Sesame Cucumber Salad: Replace vinegar with rice vinegar, add toasted sesame seeds, and include a splash of soy sauce for an East Asian-inspired cool and crunchy accompaniment.

Final Crunch: Cucumber Salad Conclusion

Delightful cucumber salad whispers summer’s refreshing melody through crisp vegetable layers and tangy vinegar notes.

Garden-fresh ingredients dance together in perfect harmony, creating pure culinary bliss.

German-inspired recipes showcase simple ingredient magic that transforms ordinary produce into extraordinary experiences.

Kitchen adventures become delicious memories with this classic side dish that connects generations through shared meals.

Cool cucumber slices swim in zesty vinegar dressing, promising remarkable flavor in each delectable bite.

Craving more culinary inspiration?

Savor this recipe, snap a photo, share your delicious creation, and spread happiness through social media channels!

Joy Of Cooking Cucumber Salad Recipe

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4.6 from 13 reviews

• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Classic cucumber salad whisks German culinary traditions into a crisp, refreshing side dish. Cool cucumber slices mingle with tangy dill, sour cream, and a zesty vinegar blend, promising summer comfort you’ll savor with each delightful bite.

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Ingredients

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Main Vegetables:

• 4 cucumbers, thinly sliced (approximately 680 grams)
• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced

Liquid Ingredients:

• 1 cup white vinegar (240 milliliters)
• ½ cup water (120 milliliters)

Seasoning and Sweetener:

• ¾ cup white sugar (150 grams)
• 1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste

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Instructions

1. Combine thinly sliced onions and crisp cucumber rounds in a spacious mixing vessel, ensuring an even distribution of the vegetables.
2. In a saucepan, merge white vinegar (118 milliliters or 4 fluid ounces), granulated sugar, and cool water over medium-high thermal intensity, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves and the liquid reaches a rolling boil.
3. Immediately cascade the scalding vinegar mixture over the waiting vegetable medley, saturating the slices thoroughly to initiate the pickling process.
4. Sprinkle fresh, fragrant dill fronds throughout the mixture, gently folding to integrate the herb’s delicate flavor profile.
5. Seal the container with a secure lid and transfer to the refrigerator, allowing the pickled vegetables to marinate and develop their tangy essence for a minimum of 60 minutes before serving chilled.

Notes

• Use a sharp mandoline or knife to create paper-thin cucumber slices that capture dressing perfectly and melt in your mouth with every bite.
• Experiment with sugar levels by starting conservatively, tasting and adjusting until you reach your ideal balance of sweetness and tanginess.
• Grab fresh dill from your garden or local market for a vibrant, aromatic punch that elevates this simple cucumber salad from good to extraordinary.
• Allow the cucumber and onion mixture to rest and develop complex flavors by refrigerating for at least an hour, though overnight marination will create an even more delicious result.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
• Method: Boiling
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 90
• Sugar: 15 g
• Sodium: 2 mg
• Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 23 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg