Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

Salads made with cucumbers, onions and other vegetables are staples of many summer menus, and this cucumber and red onion salad is one you’ll be glad you tried. Sliced English cucumbers and red onions are covered in a marinade of two different vinegars and a little sesame oil; the result is a tangy, cool, crispy and crunchy cucumber onion salad that’s great at home, in packed lunches or for potlucks. It’s a terrific go-to when you know you want a salad, and when you want more than just lettuce leaves.

Cucumber and Red Onion Salad Ingredients

• English cucumbers: Thinner, sweeter English cucumbers are perfect for eating raw in salads.
• Red onion: The dark red of a red onion contrasts well with the green and white of a cucumber. The flavor of a red onion is bright and the texture is crisp, which is exactly what you want in a salad ingredient.
• Vinegars: Combine rice or white wine vinegar with plain white vinegar to create a tangy dressing or marinade for the cucumber and onion salad. The rice or white wine version helps balance the strong flavor of the plain white vinegar.
• Sesame oil: Sesame oil adds a nutty taste to dressings and marinades.

Directions

Step 1: Slice and mix the ingredients

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Put the cucumbers, onion, both vinegars, some salt and pepper, and the sesame oil in a large bowl, and stir everything to combine.

Step 2: Chill and serve

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Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for one hour to let the flavors meld. Use a slotted spoon when serving this salad.

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Cucumber and Red Onion Salad Variations

• Add fresh dill: A very nice variation of this recipe for cucumber salad is to add some fresh dill. Not only do those specks of dill look good against the paler greenish-white of the cucumber and red of the onion, but the flavor pairs well with the vinegar-based dressing. You can also use other dressings that contain dill, such as this dill vinaigrette.
• Throw in radishes or tomatoes: Many recipes for how to make cucumber salad exist, usually with tomatoes or radish slices added to the mix.
• Try different dressings: You may prefer a vinegar-heavy marinade like the one in this cucumber onion salad recipe, but you may also want a couple of different dressings to go to just for variation. This recipe for cucumber salad is simple enough to make, so keep trying different salad dressings to see which other ones you might like.

How to Store Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

Cucumber and onion salad has to stay in the refrigerator, but you can keep it there in an airtight container for up to three days. If you are contemplating how to make cucumber salad ahead for prepared meals, store the vegetables and dressing separately, and then add some dressing when you’re about to eat some salad.

Can you freeze cucumber and red onion salad?

No, it isn’t recommended to freeze this cucumber onion salad. You see frozen pepper and onion blends at the grocery store, so you know onions can be frozen. But cucumbers can’t be. Well, technically you can freeze cucumbers, but they’re too watery; that water will all turn to ice and bust up the cells inside each cucumber slice.

When you thaw a frozen cucumber, you’ll end up with something that’s kind of mushy instead of crunchy. That’s great if you’re going to blend it into a smoothie, but it won’t work in a salad. The same goes for onions; you’ll end up with softer onions that are good for stir-fries, sauces and soups, but not salads.

Cucumber and Red Onion Salad Tips

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Why are some cucumbers bitter?

Cucumbers produce a compound called cucurbitacin, and the amount in each cuke varies. Its production is influenced by drought and other growing conditions. This is what makes cucumbers taste bitter but, luckily, the majority of the compound gathers near the two ends and in the peel. (English cucumbers tend to have less of it than other cucumbers, but you may still find some bitter English cukes.)

If you want to be sure you’re removing as much cucurbitacin as possible, slice off about 1/2 inch at each end of the cuke, and then peel the entire thing. Note that your knife or peeler can spread cucurbitacin to other parts of the cucumber, so don’t start peeling before you cut off the ends.

What can you do if the red onion turns out to be too pungent?

If you find out the red onion is too pungent before adding it to the cucumber and onion salad, soak the onion in ice water for 10 to 15 minutes. That draws out the compounds that make the onion so sharp. (Plus, the ice water helps keep the slices cool and crisp.) Pat the pieces dry with paper towels. It’s easiest to do this with longer slices, but you can soak smaller pieces of onion as well.

If you find out the onion is too pungent after you’ve made the recipe for cucumber salad, the best option is to add more cucumber and dressing (and maybe remove some of the larger onion pieces). When you do that, you’re effectively diluting the level of pungency in each bite of the cucumber onion salad.

Can you use other types of onions?

You could, but you’d really want to soak the onion slices first, especially if you use white or yellow non-sweet onions. The flavor of the salad would change a bit too. However, cucumber and onion salads that use white onions are very common, so it’s really a matter of preference.