Easy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

Thinly sliced cucumber and red onion with creamy lemon dill dressing.

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Easy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

Thinly sliced cucumber and red onion with a lemon dill vinaigrette is just the easy and refreshing salad recipe you've been looking for! It's vegan and gluten-free, crisp and delicious, simple and also amazing!

Prep Time10

Rest time for cucumbers to draw out moisture15

Total Time25

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 179kcal

Author: Debra Klein

Equipment

Ingredients

Salad

1 lb persian cucumbers
½ medium red onion

Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

1 lemon zested and juiced
2 medjool dates
1 tablespoon capers
2 teaspoon caper brine
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic finely grated
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh dill

Instructions

Separate the fronds from the woody stems of the dill. Discard the stems.
Use a mandoline or sharp knife to thinly slice cucumber and red onion. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a handful of dill fronds. Toss well and set aside to sweat while you prepare the vinaigrette.
Place lemon zest and juice, dates, capers and brine, olive oil, grated garlic and black pepper into the cup of a personal blender or tall container and use an immersion blender to blend. Continue to process until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining dill fronds and pulse a couple of times until dill is chopped and incorporated into the vinaigrette.
After 15 minutes (or longer if you have the time), drain the accumulated liquid from the bottom of the bowl and pour half the lemon vinaigrette onto the cucumber mixture and mix well. Taste. Add more dressing or just another squeeze of lemon as desired.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Salad is best served the same day. To make ahead, store the sliced vegetables and the salad separately, draining any cucumber water before tossing with the vinaigrette and then serving cold or at room temperature.

Notes

Use small persian cucumbers or english cucumber to equal a pound. Regular cucumbers are even more watery, so if that's all you have, cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and juicy center and then cut into half moon slices. Still let the slices sit for a bit to release some of the water content before you dress and serve the salad.

Nutrition