Don’t let the minimal — dare I say, simple — ingredient list fool you. This five-ingredient salad (plus salt and pepper, of course) has a lot of flavor going on.
Key Ingredients in Cucumber Salad Cucumbers. Thin-skinned English cucumbers don’t need to be peeled or seeded.
Onion. Red onion adds color and loads of flavor. Vinegar. Marinate the pickles in apple cider, white wine, or distilled vinegar
Sugar. Granulated sugar balances out the bite of the vinegar and onion. Dill. Optional dill adds herby freshness to the salad.
Slice the vegetables. Thinly slice red onion and cucumber. You can do this by hand or with a mandoline.
Salt the cucumbers. Sprinkle the cucumbers with kosher salt and let sit for about 20 minutes to leech excess water and concentrate the cucumber flavor.
Assemble the salad. Toss the cucumbers and red onion with vinegar and sugar. Add fresh dill, if using.