Creamy Marinated Cucumber Salad

Written by
Terri Wuerthner
Chef-instructor, award-winning food writer, and 10th-generation Cajun who has authored two cookbooks.
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Terri Wuerthner
Updated 09/22/19
Marinated Cucumbers
Diana Rattray
  • Total: 10 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Refrigerate: 2 hrs
  • Yield: 6 servings

This creamy marinated cucumber salad makes a great summertime side dish for grilled chicken or ribs, especially when the main features a spicy sauce as the crisp cucumbers and creamy dressing provide a cooling counterpart to the heat. The next time your garden yields a bumper crop of cucumbers, you stock up at the farmers market, or you need an easy crowd-pleaser for a potluck, look no further than this one-step recipe. Refrigerate the salad for a couple of hours before you serve it for maximum flavor.

Ingredients

  • 2 large cucumbers (about 2 pounds), peeled, if desired, and thinly sliced
  • 1 large red (or other sweet) onion (about 1/2 pound), peeled, halved vertically, and thinly sliced)
  • 1/2 cup top-quality mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine the cucumbers and red onion in a large bowl.

  2. Stir the salt, sugar, and white pepper into the mayonnaise in a small bowl.

  3. Add the dressing to the cucumbers and onion and toss to combine.

  4. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before you serve it.

Tips

  • You can sometimes purchase pre-sliced onions in the produce section of your grocery store, but they won't taste as fresh.
  • To reduce the bite of raw onion, soak the slices in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes, then drain them and proceed with the recipe. 
  • As they sit in the refrigerator, the cucumbers will release a lot of liquid. As this mingles with the creamy marinade, it creates a flavorful dressing you can drain and use on salad greens.
  • Serve the cucumber and onion mixture over lettuce leaves or spring greens at an elegant summer luncheon.
  • If you serve this salad at an outdoor event, limit the amount of time it spends out of the refrigerator to two hours or less.
  • Mix a can of tuna fish into the salad to make an easy meal out of it.
  • For a quick summer dinner, grill a piece of spicy fish or chicken, and serve it alongside this cooling salad.

Recipe Variations

  • Top the salad with chopped chives, sliced green onion tops, or freshly snipped dill weed.
  • Add sliced cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes just before serving for some bright color and acidic taste.
  • You can substitute freshly ground black pepper for the white pepper if you prefer. It will slightly alter the taste, though, and you will be able to see the black pepper specks in the salad.

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