I’m not entirely certain what to call this dish. It seems to align pretty well with what you’ll find if you search for Cucumber Salad or Pickled Cucumber Salad… but those names seem to be a little too grand for what actually just amounts to cucumbers and onions in vinegar water.
However, this is one of my favorite summer garden treats!
It gives you the slightly sharp bite of a pickle but tastes fresh and light. This one is definitely a family favorite when the cucumbers start coming out of the garden.
Bonus: It’s SUPER easy to make.
- 8 large cucumbers
- 3/4 large white onion
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp salt
- hot water
(estimates… vary to taste)
Chop up a bunch of cucumbers. (Peeling optional)
I have to be pretty vague with the numbers here. This bowl took 8 large cucumbers, but your mileage may vary. Some cucumber peels are thick and not as pleasant in the mix, but I’ve left them on before with no problems too. I like to cut them relatively thin. Probably around 1/8 inch. Throw them all in a large bowl.
Chop some white onion.
Again, some of us like more onions, and some less. I land somewhere in the middle. For this batch, I used about 3/4 of a large white onion. I tend to cut these pretty thin too, similar in size to the cucumbers. Toss them in the bowl.
Cover it all with warm water and 2-3 tbsp of salt for 15 minutes.
If your tap puts out fairly hot water, that should do the trick. Fill the bowl to where the cucumbers and onions are covered. Add the salt and mix it around a bit. Then let it sit for around 15 minutes.
Drain off half of the water.
Use something like a large lid to hold the cucumbers in place while you pour off about half of the water.
Add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and fill the remainder with water.
Dump in about 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. Then fill the bowl back up with water so most of it is covered.
Mix and refrigerate.
Mix it around a bit and stick it in the fridge. You could serve now, but most of us like it a little chilled.
What do you think?