If you love cucumbers as much as I do, then you’re definitely going to want to bookmark this incredibly easy (and crave-worthy) onion vinegar cucumber salad.
How to Make Tangy Onion Vinegar Cucumber Salad
- Prep the vegetables. Peel and slice the sweet onion. Make sure it’s sweet onion to really get that flavor. Slice up the cucumber into thin slices.
- Combine the liquid ingredients. Combine the rice vinegar, honey, and grapeseed oil in a small bowl.
- Combine the other ingredients. In another bowl, combine the cucumber, sweet onion.
- Add the vinegar mixture to your cucumber and sweet onion.
- Season. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate. Store in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours before serving.
- Finish it all off. Take the salad out of the refrigerator when you’re ready to enjoy it and top it with warm homemade garlic bread crumbs (see below for details on how to make your own) before serving.
How to Make Your Own Homemade Garlic Bread Crumbs
Good homemade bread crumbs are always a welcome addition to a salad recipe and this one is no exception. Here’s exactly how you can quickly and easily make your own from scratch:
- Process bread into crumbs. Add your favorite type of bread into a food processor and pulse until it’s roughly chopped into crumbs.
- Heat up the olive oil. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Saute the garlic. Saute the garlic and then add in the bread crumbs until they’re a nice golden brown.
- Add to salad. When done cooking, remove the cucumber salad from the refrigerator and top with your bread crumbs.
Can I Use Another Type of Vinegar?
You can definitely use another type of vinegar if you would like when making this cucumber salad.
Some vinegars absolutely work better as substitutes compared to others. And in my honest opinion there is only one other type of vinegar you should consider using when following this recipe: apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar is not as sweet as rice vinegar, so you can add a pinch of brown sugar or a bit of honey to tame the sourness. I like apple cider vinegar because it’s less processed and is even healthier than white or cane vinegar. (1)
5 Reasons Why This Salad is Such a Nutrient Powerhouse
It’s a well known fact that most salads are incredibly nutritious meal options. Here are just a few of the reasons why this cucumber salad is such a nutritional powerhouse.
- Packed full of antioxidants. Cucumbers are incredibly rich in disease fighting antioxidants. On top of that, you’re gaining additional antioxidants (as well as a deliciously sweet taste) from adding sweet onion and honey into the mix as well.
- Reduces inflammation. On top of providing your body with antioxidants, cucumbers and onion are also both known for their anti-inflammatory compounds. (2)
- Excellent source of micronutrients. Green veggies like cucumbers are widely known to provide you with an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals.
- Aids digestion. Cucumbers contain dietary fiber, which can help to improve digestion and regulate bowel movements.
- Helps with hydration. Last but not least, cucumbers are full of water, which can help you (along with regularly drinking water) to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Is This Salad Gluten-Free?
In order to make this salad 100% gluten-free, you would have to make sure that the type of bread that you use when making the bread crumbs is gluten-free, or omit adding them altogether.
On top of that, you would have to swap out the rice vinegar for a gluten-free substitute like apple cider vinegar, which coincidentally is our top recommended substitute anyway.
So while this recipe is technically not gluten-free, it is still a rather low carb option that provides you with plenty of nutritional value and great taste on top of it all.
(You may also like: Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Fresh Baby Dill)
Tangy Onion Vinegar Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 pound cucumber, sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and sliced
- salt and black peeper to taste
For the garlic bread crumbs:
- 3 oz your favorite bread
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- To make the salad, in a small bowl combine the vinegar, honey and oil.
- In a large bowl add the cucumber, onion and oil vinegar mixture.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- To make the bread crumbs, add the bread to a food processor bowl and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown and crisp.
- Remove the cucumber salad from the fridge.
- Top with warm bread crumbs and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Good Cucumber Salad Recipes
- Cucumber Salad with Mint (Once Upon a Chef)
- Chinese Cucumber Salad (Red House Spice)
- Greek Yogurt Creamy Cucumber Salad (Fit Foodie Finds)
- Cuernavaca Style Cucumber Salad (Mexican Food Journal)
- Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad (Mealthy)
- Asian Cucumber Salad (Garlic & Zest)
