Why you’ll love this sweet and spicy cucumber salad
I grew up eating creamy, sour cream based cucumber salad. It was always a favorite of mine, and, if I’m being honest, it still is, but sour cream is off the table now.
Since I always to use natural dairy free alternatives when possible, I wanted to make this cucumber salad vinegar based.
What I love about this cucumber salad is that it’s so refreshing. The spiciness balances out the sweetness and the vinegar dressing pulls everything together.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this BLT pasta salad, and this farro salad recipe and this Mexican street corn salad.
Searching for more salad recipes? Mediterranean chickpea salad / apple fennel salad / za’atar cucumber salad / Tomato salad recipe / Grilled peach salad
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- English cucumbers – I love that English cucumbers are seedless, and they have a nice thin skin so there is no need to peel them. If you can’t find English cucumbers, regular cucumbers work too. Just peel them if the skin is thick, and remove the seeds with a spoon to avoid excess moisture.
- Onion – I love this recipe with red onion, it adds a nice, sharp bite. Although, you can use white onion, yellow onion, vidalia onion or even shallot if you prefer a milder taste.
- Rice wine vinegar – If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, though the flavor will be slightly sharper.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make cucumber salad
Drain your cucumbers. Drain the water from your cucumbers by salting them liberally and letting them sit for an hour in a colander or strainer in your sink. It’s not a hard process, but it does take a little bit of planning.
If you skip this step, you’ll end up with a really watery cucumber salad, that might be okay right away, but if it sits for any length of time the water will come out of the cucumbers and create a really watery, bland salad.
Make the dressing. While the cucumbers are draining, I like to make my dressing. Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium. Allow the liquid to reduce to about 2/3 cup. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool until the cucumbers are ready.
Marinate the cucumbers. Mix everything together in a large bowl and cover. Refrigerate your cucumber salad for at least 30 minutes before serving. Give the cucumber salad a quick toss to redistribute the dressing. Serve cold as a refreshing side dish, perfect for completing your favorite summer meal.
Serve this salad with: Wisconsin beer brats / Baked hamburgers / Grilled pork ribs / Grilled meatloaf / Beer brined chicken
Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3 English cucumbers, halved and sliced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
Instructions
- In a large colander, sprinkle the cucumbers with salt.
- Allow the cucumbers to sit with the salt so that the juices drain.
- Meanwhile, simmer the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Reduce the liquid to 2/3 cup and remove from heat.
- Toss the cucumbers with the cooled dressing and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites.
Do you have to use splenda?
Please do not use Splenda. It is awful for you, and contains no natural substances. Regular sugar would be better.
No you don’t have to use Splenda, you would just need to use the equivalent of the 4 packets which is 8 teaspoons of sugar (you could also use other sugar substitutes as well). Sorry for the delayed response!
This was the best cucumber salad I’ve ever had! Thank you!
This was so awful tasting. The recipe didn’t call for rinsing off the salt so the salt took away from the sweet and spicy. I had to make a new dressing with more sugar and vinegar to cover it up
OMG Tara, you saved my salad! I read this right before I poured the dressing on. Tasted a cucumber and almost spit it out, it was so salty. I rinse them off and saved my salad. THANK YOU!!!!
This looks SO good. I’m adding it to a post I’m doing this week for cucumber sandwiches! Be on the look out for it 🙂
Perfect. Cucumber sandwiches sound great. I will definitely have to check it out!
Not to tread on Melissa’s recipe. I’ve actually not tried it yet, though I’ve got some cukes ready and waiting for something new, and this sounds like it fits the bill perfectly. Just wanted to add…..if you’re in a hurry for that occasion that suddenly popped up, or suddenly realized you totally forgot you’re supposed to take a “side” for that picnic tomorrow…..this recipe would be perfect. AND…..to make it even quicker and easier, you can just toss in a bottle of HENDRICKSON’S ORIGINAL SWEET OIL AND VINEGAR DRESSING….(found in the salad dressing aisle of most grocery stores. It also makes a great WILTED LETTUCE!!!! Thanks a bunch for the recipe Melissa. HUGS!!!!