This refreshing Cucumber Onion Salad tossed in vinegar has just 4 ingredients! It's an easy, low-calorie, low-carb, and tasty recipe you'll find yourself making again and again.
If you're looking for a healthy green side dish recipe to have with dinner or take to a barbecue, then look no further. Cucumbers and red (or yellow onions) tossed with vinegar dressing is ALWAYS a hit.
Unlike so many recipes you'll find for this vegetable combination, we used seasoned rice wine vinegar. So, no additional sugar is needed.
You can also simply marinate cucumbers in this type of vinegar too! Serve them on a plate topped with a few sesame seeds and they're delicious!
Do you need a spiralizer?
The short answer is NO!
But, this fun gadget turns vegetables, like cucumbers or zucchini, into long pasta-like strands. It's easy to do. It's fun.
And, it makes you want to eat things like cucumbers and onion in the form of a salad and all kinds of spiralized zucchini recipes.
There are many, many spiralizer brands on the market. But, you don't need to buy a fancy, expensive one to make this recipe. The one pictured below is inexpensive and does the trick.
In fact, you don't need one at all to make this Cucumber Onion Salad! Sliced cucumber is just as tasty!
How to Make Cucumber Onion Salad
This recipe is embarrassingly easy. Yet, I want it in our side dish recipes archive because it's such a flavorful and simple side to round out a meal.
To make the salad, slice or spiralize cucumber and onion, toss it with seasoned rice vinegar, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. That's it!
The pairing is perfectly delicious (and of course, tastes exactly the same) whether it's sliced, diced, or cut into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. But, it's a lot of fun eating long cucumber noodles!
We used seasoned rice vinegar because of the slight sweetness. But, unseasoned can also be used with a pinch of sweetener if desired.
Seeds and Cucumber Types
Pictured below are the long strands created from a spiralized slicing cucumber, the type that you generally find at the grocery store.
Check out the clump of seeds in the upper part of the bowl. They (pretty much) neatly fell into a pile during the spiralizing process, an unexpected benefit of using this kitchen gadget.
Seeds can be bitter, so it's nice to exclude as many as possible from the final salad.
Use an English or Persian cucumber, which are prized for having minimal seeds, and you won't have this problem at all. Check out all different types of cucumbers in this article by Berkeley Wellness.
Tips and Variations
- Cucumbers are very watery. Once you have peeled and spiralized, sliced, or diced them, allow them to drain, 20 minutes is ideal.
- I sliced the red onion extremely thin to achieve a similar look and feel to the cucumber noodles. (I actually used my other favorite gadget, a mandolin.)
- Once everything is mixed together, drain off excess liquid before serving.
- Top with sesame seeds or chia seeds!
- How many add-ins can you think of for this side dish? Tomatoes, radishes, carrots...?
Pairing Ideas
Cucumber onion salad with a vinegar dressing is perfect for barbecues, brunches and will round out just about any dinner. We especially recommend:
More Simple Salad Recipes
Please rate this recipe and tag @DinnerMom or #DinnerMom if you make it. We love to see and SHARE what you're cooking up!
📋 Recipe
Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cucumber, peeled and spiralized can also slice or chop, about 2 medium-sized cucumbers
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced or diced
- 2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Allow cut cucumber to drain in a colander for about 15 minutes and blot dry with a towel.
- Discard loose and excess seeds.
- Toss cucumber and red onion with seasoned rice vinegar.
- If desired, toast sesame seeds by heating in non-stick pan for about 5 minutes or until sesame seeds begin to brown and are fragrant. Stir frequently.
- Drain off excess liquid before serving.
- Top with sesame seeds, if using.
Notes
- Cucumbers can be sliced or diced instead of spiralized.
- We used seasoned rice vinegar because it adds a touch of sweetness. However, unseasoned vinegar with no sugar is also an option. Add a pinch of your sweetener of choice if desired.
- Cucumbers are very watery. Once you have peeled and spiralized, sliced, or diced them, allow them to drain, 20 minutes is ideal.
- I sliced the red onion extremely thin using a mandolin to achieve a similar look and feel to the cucumber noodles.
- Once everything is mixed together, drain off excess liquid before serving.
- Top with sesame seeds or chia seeds!
- Many add-ins will work well in this recipe including tomatoes, radishes and carrots.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published 5/29/2014. It was updated to improve the reader experience.
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I'm a big fan of cucumbers and making it like noodles is like a healthy pasta salad! Love rice vinegar in the dressing too!
stephanie @ Back For Seconds
I love this salad in the summer time! So good!
christine
I love recipes like this in the summer. We grow cukes in our garden and I'm always looking for new ways to use them.
Angie
I love that spiralizer! It makes the veggies so cute!
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour)
I'm so glad you mentioned the spiralizer. I definitely have a BB&B gift card that needs using! This will be the first thing I make!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes
This is so perfect for summer! I need to get a spiralizer (or maybe my food processor can do that?). Love the sesame seeds on top!
Susan
Ooooh I totally need to make a cucumber salad with my spiralizer now! It's so much more attractive this way.
Ginny McMeans
How refreshing! I bet this is fantastic!
Paula - bell'alimento
Such a great summer side dish!
Marly
This would be a great side dish at our next family gathering!
Colleen (Souffle Bombay)
This reminds me of my dad, he loves this salad and would have this or similar with sour cream 300 nights out of the year with dinner. He would be very surprised if I made it this way with the Spiralizer - Cool!
Nutmeg Nanny
I LOVE cucumber salad. Perfect for summer.
Melissa from HungryFoodLove.com
How pretty. I love cucumbers only on a small dice so I bet I would love to have a spiralizer
Lauren Kelly Nutrition
I love anything spiralized! This looks delicious!
Jenn @ Deliciously Sprinkled
Perfect summer BBQ side dish! I am always looking for new recipes!
Jessica (Savory Experiments)
Fabulous classic salad! I really need to invest in a mandolin, one of the few items I don't own!
Sarah Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella)
A spiralizer is on my list of WANTS for this summer. This salad looks perfect -- I bet it would make great lunches with a little leftover grilled chicken too.
[email protected] Cooking on the Front Burner
I definitely want a spiralizer too! This salad is easy and perfect for summer - pinned!!
dina
great healthy salad!
DB_Family
We just got a spiralizer and tried this. It was very good. Added tomatoes.
Jenn
Hands down one of my favorite simple speedy salads to make!
Marjory
Yay! It's definitely quick to make!
Chrisy
LOVED this! I can already tell I'll be making this for our weekend parties, it was so light and flavorful and *easy*!
Marjory
Thanks for your feedback. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
listallhyip.com
Thanks for finally talking about >Cucumber Onion Salad - Just 4 Ingredients!
- The Dinner-Mom <Liked it!