Cool down with this Refreshing Southern Cucumber Salad — a classic Southern side dish made with just cucumbers, red onion, and a tangy vinegar dressing! Inspired by a trip to Oxford, Mississippi, this simple recipe comes together in minutes and tastes even better the next day. Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, and hot summer nights when you need a light, no-cook side!
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This easy Southern Cucumber Onion Salad will help you beat the heat on a hot summer day!
Perfect during the summer months, you will love this refreshing cucumber salad for the following reasons:
- It's a great side dish!
- This simple recipe is an absolute snap to put together!
- Great summer salad with fresh flavors!
- You only need a few simple fresh ingredients to make this easy cucumber salad!
- The tangy vinegar dressing is sooo delicious!
How I Discovered This Dish!
I discovered this dish while on a trip to Oxford, Mississippi. A great place to try some Mississippi regional fare when in Oxford is at the Ajax Diner. We stopped by for some take out and pictured below was our delicious lunch!
I ordered the Hot Tamale Pie, which was recommended in the Mississippi Tour Guide. The sides that I chose to go along with my Hot Tamale Pie (so good!) were corn bread, butter beans, and cucumber and onions. I loved the cucumber and onions so much that I couldn't wait to get back home to recreate it in my kitchen!
Ingredients Needed For This Classic Side Dish
You only need 6 ingredients for this simple salad! These are common ingredients which you can find at your local grocery store!
- Fresh Cucumbers - English cucumbers with their thin skin and fewer seeds are perfect for this dish! But feel free to use regular cucumbers it's all good!
- Red onion (could also sub Vidalia onion, sweet onion, or white onion according to your personal preference)
- White Vinegar (could sub apple cider vinegar)
- A little salt
- A liittle sugar
- Water
Once you've gathered these ingredients, you are on your way to making what may become one of your favorite healthy recipes!
Instructions
Here are the super simple instructions to make this easy cucumber salad recipe!
First, use your vegetable peeler to peel the cucumber in stripes (lengthwise) for aesthetic purposes. This is not necessary, but it does definitely make this dish much more appealing! Then, cut the cucumber into thin cucumber slices.
Next, cut the red onion into thin slices.
Place the sliced cucumber and onion in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Pour this mixture over the cucumber and onion, and mix well.
That's it! You have made this cool cucumber salad, which you may may consider one of your go to salad recipes from now on!
For Best Results
You can eat this immediately, however for the best flavor, allow the flavors to meld overnight in the fridge. This onion and cucumber vinegar salad definitely tastes better the next day!
Place the salad in an airtight container that is preferably shallow. That way more of the the cucumber and onion slices are in contact with the tangy dressing. If you get a chance, stir the marinated cucumbers and onions a few times while the dish is marinating.
You can also use a jar, which makes it easy to turn it over from time to time while marinating.
Frequently Asked Questions
English cucumbers with their thinner skin and fewer seeds are recommended. But feel free to use regular cucumbers if you can't get the English cucumber.
It's fine to use red onion, sweet onion, white onion, or Vidalia onion for this salad! I enjoy using red to give the salad an extra pop of color though!
Some ingredients you might consider adding include black pepper, and/or fresh herbs such as fresh dill weed or parsley. You could even throw in a few halved cherry tomatoes to make this a Southern tomato cucumber salad!
How To Serve This Fresh Salad!
This salad is a perfect and versatile side dish! It's great with your favorite main meals, and especially wonderful with barbecued meats.
Enjoy the delightful taste of cucumbers in this salad as part of a light lunch, or as an essential part of a summer meal.
I do hope this will become a favorite recipe that you go to time and time again!
Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Perfect Baby Back Pork Ribs From The Oven
Absolutely MUST Try Nashville Hot Chicken!
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Cheers!
Grace
Refreshing Southern Cucumber Salad Recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber English cucumber is preferred; peeled in stripes lengthwise and thinly sliced
- ½ red onion sliced thinly (can sub Vidalia, white, sweet or yellow onion)
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ ts salt
- ¾ ts sugar
Instructions
- Peel the skin of the cucumber lengthwise with your vegetable peeler, and then slice the cucumber thinly. Thinly slice the red onion. Place the onion and cucumber in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl mix together the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Pour this mixture over the cucumber and onion, and mix well. You can eat this immediately, however it's best to allow the flavors to meld overnight in the fridge!
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