Old Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar

Old-fashioned cucumbers and onions in vinegar is a classic combination of crisp cucumbers tossed in tangy vinegar, onion, and dill. It’s cool, crunchy and perfect for hot summer days or any time of the year.

Old-fashioned cucumbers were a must-have on the table during summer when I was young. My mom used to make them all of the time in the summer with the cucumbers from our garden. Her favorite recipe was sweeter than this recipe – she loved sugar. I prefer a more tart taste, and this recipe has just enough sugar in it to balance the tartness of the vinegar. If you prefer a sweeter cucumber salad, feel free to add more sugar to your taste.

Even though this recipe is popular in the summer, it’s also a great recipe for a simple side dish that can be served any time of the year. One of my favorite ways to enjoy old-fashioned cucumbers and vinegar is with Swedish Meatballs. I love the way the tart simple vinegar brine tastes with hearty meatballs and mashed potatoes.

Here is What You Will Need

This is a brief summary of the ingredients needed to make this recipe and a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.

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How to make this old-fashioned cucumber salad recipe

Prepare the ingredients

1. Wipe the cucumbers clean with a damp cloth or run them under cold water and pat them dry.
2. Use a sharp knife, slicing blade or mandoline slicer to slice the cucumber an thin as possible.
3. Slice the onion into thin slices, with a sharp knife, food processor or mandoline slicer.
4. Measure the salt, sugar, vinegar and chop the fresh dill with a sharp knife.

STEP 1: Place the sliced cucumbers into a medium-sized bowl with the onion slices.

STEP 2: Stir in the salt and sugar, and allow the cucumbers to sit at room temperature for one hour.

STEP 3: At this point, the cucumbers will have released water into the bowl. You do not need to drain the cucumbers. If the amount of water seems sparse, add a tablespoon of water.

STEP 4: Stir in the vinegar and chopped dill. Adjust the flavor with more water for a less vinegar taste.

Ingredient notes & substitutions

The complete list of ingredients to make this recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.

Cucumbers. You can use any type of cucumber in this recipe, but young cucumbers with small seeds work best. When choosing, look for cucumbers that are medium to dark green in color. They should be firm without any soft spots. In the winter, which is not their peak season, I like small Kirby and Persian cucumbers for their delicate flavor and thin skins.

Onions. As with the cucumbers, you can use any variety of onions that you have. Red onions make a pretty presentation, and white onions, yellow onions, or Vidalia onions are also good choices. I like to use Vidalia onions, which are sweet onions, to balance the tartness of the vinegar.

Sugar. I like to use natural sweeteners, like coconut sugar, in this recipe. However, white sugar, honey, or your favorite sweetener can easily be substituted.

Sea Salt. can be replaced with table salt or kosher salt.

Vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar in this recipe, but you can also use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or champagne vinegar.

Experiment with different types of vinegar in this salad; each one will impart its own flavor.

Serving suggestions

This tangy side salad tastes great as a side dish garnished with black pepper and served with a burger, grilled chicken, beef, pork chops, seafood or Swedish meatballs

How to store leftover cucumber vinegar salad

Storing leftover cucumber vinegar salad is easy. Store them in an airtight container making sure all of the cucumbers are covered with vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

If you like cucumbers, try this Summer Salad with Cucumbers and Feta

Recipe variations

Zucchini and Onions Salad – Replace the cucumbers with thinly sliced zucchini or a combination of both sliced cucumbers and zucchini.

Tomatoes – Make a true summer salad, and add cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges to the salad.

Vegetables – Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of more veggies such as bell pepper slices, radishes or zucchini to the salad.

Herbs and use any combination of chopped fresh mint, fresh basil or fresh oregano.

Greek – Add some chopped kalamata olives and feta cheese to the cucumber mixture.

Spicy – Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeno pepper to add a spicy to the salad.

Creamy – Combine a quarter cup of sour cream or Greek with the vinegar mixture.

You might also like these summer recipes

• No Mayo Deviled Eggs
• Red White and Blue Salad
• Easy Spiralized Cucumber Salad
• Cucumber Hummus Appetizers

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