The prep time is just ten minutes, but the salad needs to be marinated in the fridge for three hours. My Dutch-born dad used to make what he called “komkommersalade” almost weekly. Translating to “cucumber salad,” it was by far one of my favorite side dishes. I couldn’t get enough of it! Dad used to marinate the cucumber slices in a mixture of white vinegar, salt, and sugar. I omit the sugar, use gentler vinegar, and dilute it in water. The result is just as good as my childhood salad. Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Card
Vinegar: I use white wine vinegar. Other good options include rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar. I don’t recommend using distilled white vinegar. It’s too acidic. Water: I add a small amount of water to dilute the vinegar. This prevents the salad from being too acidic. Sea salt: You can also add ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, but I usually don’t. Cucumber: I use one English cucumber. It should be thinly sliced - ⅛-inch thick if possible and certainly no thicker than ¼ inch.
You can see in the photos below the difference between these two cucumber varieties on the outside and on the inside: Having said that, if you can’t find English cucumbers, it’s fine to use regular ones. In the photo below, you can see the two salads I made today - one with an English cucumber and one with two regular cucumbers:
Add ¼ cup of thinly sliced onions (yellow or red). Add ¼ cup of chopped scallions. Sometimes, I add ½ cup of sliced cherry tomatoes or thinly sliced Roma tomatoes. For a richer dressing, you can add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Make it spicy with a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, which also add a splash of color to the salad. After draining, mix in ½ cup of sour cream to turn it into a creamy cucumber salad. Add 2 tablespoons of minced dill. As you can see in the photos below, I was out of fresh dill today, so I used about ½ teaspoon of dried dill.
Mix the vinegar, water, and salt in a small glass bowl. Add the cucumber slices and stir to ensure they are covered in the vinegar mixture. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cucumbers onto a serving plate for immediate consumption or to a glass food storage container for longer storage in the fridge. I especially like it with chicken. I serve this salad with baked chicken drumsticks, baked chicken wings, buffalo wings, and - as shown in the photo below - crispy chicken thighs.
