Cucumber Dill Salad

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This quick, easy, and light cucumber dill salad soaks sliced cucumbers in a sweet and tangy marinade and serves them with plenty of fresh dill! A perfectly refreshing summer salad you’ll love.

cucumber dill salad in a white bowl with a fork.

Why You’ll Love This Cucumber and Dill Salad
The Ingredients and Substitutes
How to Make a Cucumber Dill Salad
FAQs
Pro Recipe Tips
Serving Suggestions
Storage Instructions
Cucumber Dill Salad Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Cucumber and Dill Salad

In our house, summer is all about celebrating fresh flavors and packing every dish we make with seasonal produce. And if we don’t have to turn the oven on to do it, it’s a bonus!

Like my green bean salad and fresh strawberry lemonade, this cucumber dill salad is made with simple seasonal ingredients and keeps you cool and refreshed throughout the summer. Crisp and juicy cucumbers are marinated in a tangy vinaigrette before they’re tossed with fresh dill, salt, and cracked pepper. The result? A perfect summer salad with plenty of zing!

You can make this easy cucumber salad recipe as an appetizer for any summer meal, bring it to the potluck or vegan barbecue, or enjoy the leftovers for a cooling snack. Everyone you serve it to will love the tangy cucumbers contrasted by the heaps of fresh dill!

Looking for more flavor-packed cucumber salad recipes? Try my cucumber radish salad, Greek cucumber salad, or spicy cucumber salad.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

This vegan cucumber salad recipe is easy to make with sliced cucumbers, fresh dill, and a handful of pantry staples. Refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

ingredients for cucumber dill salad in individual bowls with labels.

I recommend using English or Persian cucumbers for this dill and cucumber salad. Both do not have many seeds, have thin peels, and won’t fall apart after marinating.

What Else Can I Add to a Cucumber Salad with Dill?

More fresh herbs: Add diced green onions, fresh parsley, or chives along with or instead of the dill.
Onions: Thinly slice a small-medium red onion or white onion and marinate them with the cucumbers for an old-fashioned onion and cucumber salad.
Radishes: Add thinly sliced red radishes or watermelon radishes for a delicious peppery bite.
Cherry tomatoes: Tomatoes are another summer vegetable you can use in this salad! Simply slice them in half, toss them with the cucumbers before serving, and enjoy.
Lemon or lime juice: An equal amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice will work in place of either vinegar.
Extra virgin olive oil: The marinade for this cucumber salad is naturally oil-free but you can toss the salad with 1 or 2 tablespoons of EVOO before serving to give it a silkier mouthfeel.
Red wine vinegar: Feel free to replace the apple cider vinegar with red wine vinegar for more zing.
Creamy vegan yogurt dressing: Swap out some of the water with vegan Greek yogurt or vegan sour cream.
Protein: Add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, white beans, or kidney beans for a boost of protein.

How to Make a Cucumber Dill Salad

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.

sliced cucumbers topped with salt in a white colander.

Step 1: Slice the cucumbers and transfer them to a colander.

Step 2: Sprinkle salt over the cucumbers and set them aside to drain for 1 hour.

sliced cucumbers in a glass dish next to a saucepan.

Step 3: Meanwhile, heat the water, both vinegars, and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Step 4: Rinse the salt from the cucumbers and place them in a glass container.

sliced cucumbers and marinade in a glass jar.

cucumber dill salad in a sealed glass jar.

Step 5: Pour the vinegar/sugar mixture over the cucumbers and set aside to marinate for 2 hours.

Step 6: Toss the marinated cucumbers with fresh dill, salt, and pepper right before serving. Enjoy!

To keep the cucumbers crisp and crunchy, combine the vinegar and sugar only, and then add ice cubes to the salad while it marinates. This cools the marinade faster and helps it soak into the cucumbers while keeping the slices crisp.

Before serving, add a few raw cucumber slices to give the dish a burst of extra freshness and a crisper texture.

FAQs

Can I make this cucumber salad with dried dill instead?

Yes, you can use 1 tablespoon of dried dill instead of fresh. Just know that dried herbs don’t pack the same refreshing punch of flavor as fresh herbs.

Why is my cucumber salad watery?

This could be because you didn’t allow the cucumbers to drain or ‘sweat’ for long enough. Allow the excess water to drain from the slices for at least 1 hour in a colander in the sink, then rinse the salt away and pat the cucumbers dry with paper towels to soak up any remaining water.

The cucumbers may also continue to release water after marinating, so letting the salad sit for too long will result in a watery salad.

If watery cucumber salad isn’t your thing, go ahead and omit the ½ cup of water from this recipe.

Should I peel the cucumbers?

I like to keep the cucumber peel on for extra crunch, but you can peel it if you’d like.

Pro Recipe Tips

Slice the cucumbers with a mandoline: It’s a reliable tool that will give you evenly sliced cucumbers every time! Plus, you can adjust the blade to give you thin or thick slices.
Always drain the cucumbers: It’s a necessary step that will yield the correct texture and prevent the cucumber vinegar salad from turning soggy too soon.
Allow the marinade to cool: The marinade needs time to cool to at least room temperature before you add the cucumber slices. If you combine the two while the marinade is warm, the cucumber will become soggy or limp faster.
Give the cucumber time to marinate: The cucumbers need at least 2 hours to soak in those tangy and refreshing flavors.
If your cucumber is overly seedy: Slice it in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then continue with the recipe as normal.

Serving Suggestions

It’s honestly easier to list the dishes that this cucumber and dill salad recipe does NOT pair well with! You can enjoy it as an appetizer or side dish with all kinds of meals, such as:

And if you happen to have dilly cucumbers left over, you can layer them in a veggie sandwich (like this buffalo tofu sandwich), wrap (like this hummus tortilla wrap), add them to a leafy green rainbow salad, or snack on them when you need something cool and refreshing.

Storage Instructions

I recommend serving this marinated cucumber salad the day it’s assembled because the leftovers become soggy the longer they sit. Remember to set aside 2 hours of marinating time before serving, then store any leftovers in a sealed glass jar or airtight container in the refrigerator. They’re best enjoyed within 1 to 2 days, although they’ll last for up to 4 or 5 days.

The marinated cucumbers do not freeze well. If you’d like to save a little time, make the vinegar marinade up to 1 week in advance and store it in a sealed glass jar in the fridge.