Maybe it was just in my house, but I loved when my mother would make vinegar cucumber salad from veggies from our garden. Even when we didn’t have fresh vegetables, like during the winter, I enjoyed this. The marinated vegetables in this have a tart, refreshing taste.
Above anything, this vinegar salad works great as one of your go-to summer sides because it’s not hard to throw together on the spot, as long as you have the ingredients.
It’s a healthy salad, especially because you’re making the salad dressing from scratch and using either garden fresh or store-bought vegetables.
And if you’re looking for a dish to bring to a picnic or barbeque, this vinegar salad works well with baked beans or a less traditional dish like pineapple chicken kebabs.
You can make the dressing to match your personal preference by adding more or less vinegar, or you could change the type of vinegar your using. While the recipe calls for basil, you could change it to another seasoning if you prefer. Though these three vegetables are classics in this dish, you could add more nutrients, color, and flavor by adding a bell paper.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Has refreshingly tart taste
- Perfect side dish for BBQs
- Is easy to make
- Has nutrients
- Isn’t high in calories
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
If you want, you could easily replace the distilled white vinegar with red wine or balsamic vinegar for a different flavor profile. The recipe only calls for basil, but you could add oregano or time if you’d like, either as a replacement or in addition to the seasoning already in this recipe. Bell peppers would work well in this salad because they’ll take on the flavors and marinate like the rest of the vegetables in it will.
As far as choosing vegetables, you can pretty much choose any type of tomatoes, cucumbers, or onions you like. Certain ones, however, go better in this salad than others. For instance, on-the-vine, beefsteak, and roma tomatoes work wonderfully.
You could choose any cucumbers if you don’t care about seeds. If you want seedless, use either Persian or English cucumbers.
Red, Vidalia, or white onions provide the right flavor for this salad, but you could use any you like. And if you’re not a fan, you could omit them from the recipe completely. To not sacrifice flavor, you can add just a hint of onion powder.
Any bell peppers will go with this recipe, but bear in mind that green peppers have a sharp flavor.
How to Make It
Overall, this vinegar salad recipe is simple to make. Start with choosing fresh produce or taking it right from your garden. Fresh produce will hold up to the vinegar and provide the best flavor for your salad.
It’s up to you how you want to cut the vegetables. Some people choose to leave the cucumber peel on, while others choose to take it off. It doesn’t make much of a difference in the final outcome; it’s a preference thing.
You’ll want to cut the vegetables and put the dressing on them early. You don’t want to leave them out, though. Instead, place the salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve. This gives the veggies time to absorb the vinegar and oil and become softer.
If you’re adding onions, make sure you cut them thinly. When they’re in large chunks, their flavor will overwhelm the salad.
Tips for Success
Make all your tomatoes, all your cucumbers, and all your onions the same size. That way, the salad looks aesthetically appealing. Each bite you take will have balanced flavor when all the same veggies are cut similarly.
As you’re throwing this salad together, keep your family’s personal preferences in mind. You may want to alter some of the ingredients.
Storage & Reheating
You can eat this salad for a few days after you make it. However, it tastes best whenever you eat it the first day. If you do store any leftover cucumber salad, put it in an airtight container. This is beneficial for the salad and will prevent the onion from emanating throughout your fridge.
You can’t freeze this salad if you don’t eat it all, so try to serve it again for lunch or dinner to following day if you still have some remaining.
Serving Suggestions
Cucumber tomato salad goes well with a number of meals. That tang it delivers complements a variety of dishes, such as barbecued chicken, spaghetti, or hamburgers. And there’s nothing set in stone that says you can’t make it as a side for any meal.
When you serve it, you may want to put mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkling parmesan over it is another option to enhance it.
While this salad doesn’t traditionally have croutons on it, if you like that crunch, feel free to add them.
FAQs
1. Can you add any other vegetables to a cucumber salad?
Because you want all the vegetables to absorb the vinegar, most vegetables won’t go wel with this salad. Carrots will make it too sweet, for instance. And the bite of celery will be overpowering in this salad. You may want to add bell peppers if you’re looking for other vegetables to put in it.
2. Can you make a cucumber vinegar salad in advance?
While you technically can make it a day or two in advance, it’s best when you make it a few hours before you plan on serving it. By doing so, the vegetables have time to marinate but won’t be too soft.
3. Can I use red wine vinegar in a cucumber and tomato salad?
Yes, you can use other types of vinegar besides white distilled. Just know that it’ll change the flavor.
Notes
I’m a huge salad fan. Give me a nice tossed salad, a caesar salad, or even macaroni salad. I love a good mix. However, this salad is an all-time favorite of mine. It reminds me so much of my childhood and my mother making it for me.
I rarely make it at my house my son doesn’t like raw tomatoes, so long into my adulthood, I enjoyed my mother making it for me. My son — not so much. He always picked around the tomatoes.
Vinegar Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3 Large English Cucumbers sliced into rounds (English cucumbers have thinner skins and fewer seeds)
- 3 Large Roma Tomatoes cut into wedges
- 1 Large Red Onion sliced into thin rings
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar adds a deeper, mellow sweetness compared to white vinegar
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Cold Water
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar adjust to taste
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then pat them dry with a paper towel. This draws out excess moisture, ensuring the dressing stays concentrated and the cucumbers remain crunchy.
- If you prefer a milder onion flavor, soak the red onion slices in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes before adding them to the salad. This removes the “bite” while keeping the crunch.
- In a small mason jar or bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, water, sugar, oregano, basil, and garlic powder until the sugar is fully dissolved and the oil is emulsified.
- In a large glass bowl (avoid metal as it can react with the vinegar), combine the prepared cucumbers, tomato wedges, and onions. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss gently with wooden spoons to avoid breaking the tomatoes.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This is the most critical step, as the vinegar needs time to “pickle” the vegetables and soften the onion fibers.
- Give the salad one last toss before serving to redistribute the herbs and dressing that may have settled at the bottom.
