Sunday Salad: A Dilly Cucumber Salad That Will Take You Straight To the Deli Counter

An easy, make-ahead salad that’s crisp, tangy, and packed with fresh dill

A quick announcement! For Food Friends in the Portland, OR area—or anyone planning a visit—Sonya is now offering farmers’ market tours through Airbnb Experiences.

Join her for a guided walk through Portland’s vibrant markets, where you’ll discover which vendors local chefs swear by, where to find the best stone fruit, and what to cook with your haul once you're home. Sample freshly made prepared foods or pastries along the way. It’s a delicious way to explore the city like a local, and connect with fellow food friends!

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Solstice is here, and summer produce is starting to pile up at the farmers’ market. Every week, we keep filling our market totes with crisp cucumbers. We’re not prejudiced to varieties; we’ll grab short and sleek Persians, narrow long Japanese cucumbers, pale green melon-like Armenian cucumbers, faithfully solid English ones, and the delicate, elegant white cucumbers. Long story short: the more cucumbers, the better.

Our dilly cucumber salad is deceptively simple, but packs refreshing results. It’s generously full of fresh dill, has a hint of sharpness from a touch of onion, and is tossed in a tangy-sweet dressing that combines the punch of white vinegar with the fruitiness of apple cider vinegar. It’s a salad Sonya regularly served at her deli during the summer months, and she also included the recipe in her cookbook. Often, it’s her guests’ favorite dish on a lunch or brunch spread, and like many of our salads, it keeps well in the fridge for several days.

As we slice the pile of cucumbers in our kitchen, inevitably, the “Cucumba” song gets stuck in our head:

Vitamins, Minerals very high number,
Silica, Hair and Nails get longer,
Other Vitamins make your bones dem stronger,
Anti wrinkle make you look younger
95% Water, Kidney Cleanser, great hydrater,
Detox, Fiber, good regulator,
Give your body good things don’t be a traitor
Get the Cucumba

If you’ve never heard it, do yourself a favor and click the link for an immediate serotonin boost.

RECIPE: Dilly Cucumber Salad

Serves 4, double the recipe as needed

Active time: 15-20 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes

For the salad
5-6 Persian or 2 English cucumbers (about 1 pound), or combination of any cucumbers
¼ of a medium red onion, or to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh dill, or to taste
1 Tablespoon kosher salt

For the dressing-
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons neutral oil (like avocado, grape seed, or sunflower oil)

Directions:
Slice the cucumbers; we like to slice some into rounds, others into 1-2” spears for contrasting textures. Slice the red onion very thin using a mandolin or sharp knife. Roughly chop the dill. Add all of the salad ingredients to a bowl, season with 1 Tablespoon kosher salt, and combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the white vinegar, sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, and salt. Allow to sit for a few minutes for the sugar to dissolve, then whisk in the oil.

Toss the cucumber mixture in the dressing until well-coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving cold. This salad keeps about 4 days in the refrigerator.

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