Imagine a crisp cucumber salad drizzled in a zesty homemade Italian dressing. No need for fancy ingredients with this one. Just a few simple ingredients to turn your side into a flavor-packed dish.
This recipe is perfect for any time of the year and was inspired by my Easy Peach Arugula Salad.
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Pairing Suggestions
Whether you're planning a light lunch or a hearty dinner, I've got you covered with with the perfect dishes to go with your Italian cucumber salad.
- London broil
- Lemon Pepper Pork Chops in Cast Iron Skillet
- Dutch Oven Pork Chops with Gravy
- Baked Marinated Whole Chicken Wings
- Spinach Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
Now, let's talk about the few ingredients you need to whip up this simple salad. If you buy cucumbers on a regular basis, you may already have everything you need.
- Cucumbers (any kind but preferably seedless)
- Homemade Italian dressing: Avocado oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Italian Cucumber Salad
This Italian cucumber salad is hands-down the easiest side dish you'll ever make. It's the kind of dish you can whip up quickly. What's cool about this dish is that when you sprinkle in some fresh herbs, it looks like you went the extra mile. So, let's dive in.
- Cut your cucumbers into round slices that are the same size in width and spread them out into a serving dish.
- Drizzle your homemade Italian dressing over the top so that each cucumber is evenly coated.
- Sprinkle with black pepper and garnish with fresh herbs. I used dill.
- Serve immediately
Can You Make It Ahead?
Absolutely, this crispy cucumber salad is a quick and simple make-ahead side dish. All you need to do is slice your cucumbers and store them in an air-tight container with a tight-fitting lid or in a ziploc baggie without the Italian dressing.
I highly recommend storing your dressing separately. You can use a small jar or mason jar.
Storage
As I mentioned above, store your dressing separately from the sliced cucumbers until you're ready to serve. This will keep your cucumbers fresh and crisp.
By drizzling your dressing over the cucumbers and letting them sit in the fridge, the cucumbers will begin releasing water which will make your dressing taste watery and look thin and your cucumbers will not taste as crisp.
Top Tips
- Select cucumbers that are firm and without wrinkles or soft spots or bruising. Any type of cucumber will work for this recipe.
- Slice your cucumbers into equal sized rounds that aren't too thin or thick - around a ¼ inch thick.
- Add in chopped herbs for freshness. Basil, mint, or dill works perfectly.
- Due to cucumbers having a high water content, this recipe is best when served right away.
Add-ins
Feel free to add in thinly sliced red onions or pickled red onions. If you want to add a creamy and salty element to your Italian dressing cucumber salad, sprinkle in some crumbled feta cheese.
FAQs
Cucumber salad is best when it's eaten immediately or soon after making it. Otherwise, to keep the cucumbers crisp and fresh for a longer period of time. One simple trick is to drizzle your vinaigrette or dressing over the cucumbers right before serving.
Hot house cucumbers are also known as English cucumbers. They are seedless and their skin is thin which makes it easier to eat and digest.
Typically, fresh cucumbers can last 7 to 10 days when stored in the fridge.
More Salad Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
More Pairing Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this easy Italian cucumber salad recipe:
Did you make this recipe?
If so, let me know how it went. Leave a 'Star Rating' within the recipe card down below and/or TAG @cookingwithbliss on Instagram. I can't wait to see how it turned out.
📖 Recipe
Simple Italian Cucumber Salad
Simple Italian Cucumber SaladEquipment
- 1 mandolin or chef's knife for slicing cucumbers
- 1 Chef's knife for mincing shallot and garlic
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 serving dish or salad bowl
- 1 mason jar or small jar for mixing your homemade Italian dressing
Ingredients
- 1 hot house cucumber (aka English cucumber - any cucumber will work, but I recommend seedless)
Homemade Italian Dressing
- 4 tablespoon avocado oil (extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil)
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon shallots (minced)
- ½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Homemade Italian Dressing: To a small jar with a lid or mason jar, combine all the ingredients to make the dressing, tighten the lid, and shake until all ingredients are combined. Set aside.
- Wash your cucumber and pat dry thoroughly with a paper towel.
- Use a mandolin or chef's knife to cut the cucumbers into equal rounds. Do not cut them too thin or too thick. Place them in a serving dish or salad bowl.
- Drizzle your homemade salad dressing over the top making sure all cucumbers are evenly coated. Sprinkle with a little more black pepper and garnish with freshly chopped herbs such as dill. You can garnish with chopped parsley if that's what you prefer. Or, dried parsley would work also. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Select cucumbers that are firm and without wrinkles or soft spots or bruising. Any type of cucumber will work for this recipe.
- Slice your cucumbers into equal sized rounds that aren't too thin or thick - around a ¼ inch thick.
- Add in chopped herbs for freshness. Basil, mint, or dill works perfectly.
- Due to cucumbers having a high water content, this recipe is best when served right away.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
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