This easy cucumber salad is a refreshing and healthy side dish that can accompany any meal, whether it’s a BBQ or a family dinner. And the best part? You only need five simple ingredients to make this easy cucumber salad. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make a delicious cucumber salad with cucumbers, sugar, rice wine vinegar, jalapenos, and chopped cilantro.
Because this recipe only has 5 simple ingredients, it’s perfect for my Five-Ingredient-Friday series.
Tips to make cucumber salad
- For a milder version of this salad, you can omit the jalapenos or reduce the amount used. If you prefer a spicier salad, leave the seeds in the jalapenos or use serrano peppers instead.
- To save time, you can slice the cucumbers ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the salad.
- If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can substitute it with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- The salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but it’s best served fresh.
The five ingredients I used for this recipe were cucumbers, sugar, rice wine vinegar, jalapenos and chopped cilantro. The ingredients mix super well together and you’re left with a wonderfully fresh cucumber dish! I’ve used parsley instead of cilantro, or chives, or basil or even a mix of fresh herbs. And I’ve used red wine vinegar in place of the rice wine vinegar, it’s really whatever you have on hand
I used to have a raised garden bed with legs and would get my herbs and jalapenos from it, but if not homegrown, the farmers market is a great place to get ingredients.
This easy 5 ingredient cucumber salad is a quick and simple side dish that is perfect for a hot summer day. It’s light, refreshing, and full of flavor. The combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors from the sugar, rice wine vinegar, jalapenos, and cilantro make this salad a crowd-pleaser. Try it out at your next BBQ or family dinner, and enjoy the compliments that come your way!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
- Korean Beef BBQ Tacos with Quick Pickled Cucumbers
- 4 Ingredient Fancy Cucumber Sandwiches
- Refreshing Cucumber Melon Spritzer Drink Recipe
Quick Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 seedless cucumber chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 - 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (cilantro parsley, basil or chives, or a combination of them
Instructions
- Mix cucumbers and salt in a bowl, let sit for 15 minutes-30 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle with a dash of salt.
- Whisk together sugar and vinegar until the sugar dissolves, then add jalapenos and fresh herbs.
- Add cucumbers to a bowl and pour sauce over it and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Shannon says
I made this last night and it was a huge hit! My 7 year old said he loved it as much as caprese salad, which is his absolute favorite. I did find the sugar was necessary just as you said. I used parsley for the herb, since that’s what I had readily available. Sadly I had to leave out the jalapeño (due to said 7 year old) but I added a little sliced bell pepper for color. Thanks so much for this delightfully simple recipe!
Sweetphi says
Oh this comment totally made my day Shannon! Thank you so much for sharing, and I’m so glad you liked this recipe
Little Cooking Tips says
We often have chopped cucumber with salt, EVOO and vinegar as a snack at night, watching some of our favorite series during the summer so this is truly a great alternative and an excellent idea dear Phi! Loved the look of Clover (also amazing to read the work stoic, didn’t know there was an English word for it – Stoics / Stoicism!) and your beautiful garden! SO pretty!
Lots of hugs!
Sweetphi says
Fresh cucumbers are just so yummy in the summer. That’s funny about the word stoic- clover definitely has that look lol. And I’m glad I got a picture of the garden a few weeks ago, because now it’s looking a little starved for attention, your comment is a reminder to go outside and give it some love 🙂
Cinday says
Why the added sugar?
Sweetphi says
You can choose to omit the sugar or use less, but it’s in the recipe because it cuts down on the bitterness of the vinegar and balances out the flavors.