Old Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar (Southern Cucumber Onion Salad)
This recipe for old fashioned cucumbers and onions in vinegar is a super simple but surprisingly addictive side dish common in the South and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. While this recipe couldn’t be easier, there’s a little more to it than just dumping vinegar on top of some cucumbers. In this post you’ll learn my tips for maximizing flavor and balancing the acidity!
Southern cucumber onion salad is often seen as a side dish for barbecue pulled pork with Carolina gold BBQ sauce, and goes perfectly with any sandwich!
As a kid, I was always delighted when my stepmom would bring tangy, vinegar-marinated cucumbers out to the table. But I haven’t thought to share this old fashioned cucumber onion salad recipe on the blog until I got on a kick with them recently.
Sometimes I think “This recipe isn’t complex or interesting enough to put on the blog,” like with my lemon broccoli salad. But those are some of the best ones out there. In fact, their simplicity is what makes them so easy to add to your regular repertoire. While KISS — “Keep It Simple, Stupid” or, more kindly, “Keep It Super Simple” is a bit of advice often applied to project ideas or graphic design, it can be equally true for recipes.
I have that broccoli salad once a week at least, and this cucumber onion salad is joining the ranks as a staple in my fridge! They’re quicker and less involved than my popular refrigerator dill pickles, but will satisfy your desire for crisp, tangy cucumbers just the same!
So I won’t keep you from this recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ingredients
VIDEO: How to make cucumber onion salad
How to make old fashioned cucumbers and onions in vinegar
While it seems like you could just throw some cucumbers in vinegar and call it a day, there’s just a little more that goes into making this recipe! Salting and resting the vegetables is vital for maximum flavor, and just a little sugar balances out the strong acidity of white vinegar.
Still, this recipe is super easy and comes together with only a few minutes of prep time!
Slice the cucumbers and onion. Lightly peel the cucumber to leave a few strips of color for visual interest (image 1). Then slice the cucumber and onion as thinly and evenly as possible using a mandoline slicer or kitchen knife (images 2-6).
Salt the veggies. Toss the sliced veggies with a teaspoon of kosher salt and let them rest for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally (image 7). Drain out and discard any liquid that accumulates. (image 8).
Add the vinegar, water, and sugar. Submerge the cucumbers and onions in a mixture of white vinegar, water, and granulated white sugar (images 9-11). Initially salting the cucumbers allows the vinegar to permeate more quickly, so these can be enjoyed in as little as 5-10 minutes, but marinate for an hour for best flavor.
Enjoy! Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week. Goes great as a side for slow cooker pulled pork with Carolina Gold BBQ sauce! Keep the cucumbers submerged in the vinegar mixture when storing this salad.
Tips & Tricks
Substitutions and variations
- Cucumber substitutions: While my top choice for this salad is an English cucumber, you may use smaller Kirby (pickling) cucumbers or a slicing cucumber if you wish. Slicing cucumbers have a thick, waxy skin and tough seeds, so peel them thoroughly, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds if you wish to use them.
- Vinegar variations: Simple distilled white vinegar is an economic and traditional choice for these old-fashioned cucumbers and onions, but if you wish, you can swap it out for white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar for a milder flavor.
- Like it sweet? I like my cucumber onion salad super tangy, but if you like it sweeter, just add more sugar to taste!
- Additions: I kept this recipe as basic as possible but you can add some minced garlic or finely chopped parsley for a different take.
How to serve
- Use a slotted spoon. While it's best to store this salad submerged in the vinegar mixture, you can drain the cucumbers just before serving.
- Serve on the side, or even on top! Serve with a sandwich, any grilled summer entree, or with barbecue pulled pork. Or, use in lieu of pickles to add some crunch to a sandwich!
More Southern side dish recipes you'll love
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Old Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar
Equipment
- vegetable peeler
- mandoline slicer recommended
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber see note
- ½ small white onion or ¼ red onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar see note
Instructions
- Lightly peel cucumber, leaving some green streaks for visual interest. Slice the cucumber and onion as thinly as possible with a mandoline slicer (recommended) or kitchen knife.
- Add cucumber and onion to a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss to combine. Let marinate for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, and then drain any accumulated liquid (do not rinse).
- Pour vinegar and water over cucumbers and add sugar. Stir to combine. You can enjoy in as little as 5-10 minutes, but let it marinate an additional hour for best results.
- Store refrigerated, submerged in vinegar mixture, for up to a week. Enjoy as a side dish or on a sandwich!
Just like my Mom and Grandma used to make. I used apple cider vinegar and it added a bit more tang. The sugar is the secret ingredient!
Yum, I love apple cider vinegar too! I love being able to bring people those nostalgic recipes. Glad you enjoyed it!
I looked at several recipes and this one sounded the most like my Dad’s. I made it tonight and I added some fresh dill, which he did when he had some. I’ll let you know how it gets received by my siblings this weekend! Thanks!
This recipe is great with some fresh dill or parsley! I hope you and your siblings liked the recipe!
This is delicious! I love vinegar so I used a little more. Reminds me of my Grandmother’s recipe. Which she never wrote down! Thank you very much!
Aaah I’m so happy I could help! I love those nostalgic recipes. (also hello from a fellow vinegar lover!) Thanks for the review!
Can these be canned?
Hi, this is not a canning recipe! Recipes for canning require certain levels of salt or acidity and I’m unfortunately not well-versed in how to adapt a recipe for canning. This salad is meant to be eaten fresh, but you can store it in the fridge for several days without losing quality!
Everything. Love it. Just like my mom’s.
Yay!! So glad you love it! Thanks for your review.
This was so tasty and easy. Most important though my husband loved it! Thanks for sharing❤️😋