Dill and Cucumber Salad

Toss cucumber slices with fresh dill fronds in a seasoned vinegar and lemon juice dressing to make this Dill and Cucumber Salad. It’s light and refreshing with just the right amount of brightness and zing. Garnish with thinly sliced hot chilies for colour and heat.

When it comes to salad and summertime, nothing beats a light and refreshing salad like this Dill and Cucumber Salad. Well, actually, that’s a lie! Do you know what does beat it? A light and refreshing salad with lots of flavour and lots of crunch that’s easy to prepare and also easy on the wallet. Wouldn’t you agree? Come to think of it, this salad still takes the top spot because it checks off all of those points!

We are not the salad type. I don’t mean that we don’t like salads. I simply mean that we don’t eat them as often as we should. That just might change though, because I’ve been experimenting with summery salads that are lettuce free. I love lettuce, but it’s in every salad you eat! It becomes boring and bland quite fast. If you want a change from the every day, boring salad, this one is for you!

THE BEST TYPE OF CUCUMBERS FOR SALAD

To be honest, you can use any type of cucumber you like the most. In this particular case, I’m using the pickling cucumbers that I grew in my garden. It was my second time growing cucumbers and to be quite honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of eating the pickling cucumbers raw – even though they are totally fine that way! I’m not a huge cucumber lover, but John.e is, so I asked him. He thought that pickling cucumbers were fine, but the skin is thicker, which he didn’t care for.

So, if I had to make a recommendation, it would most certainly be English cucumbers here. These are sometimes known as hothouse cucumbers as well. English cucumbers are usually a little more expensive, but because there are so few ingredients in this salad, it would be wise to use the best. Unlike other generic cucumbers, English cucumbers are seedless, which means they will release much less water when sliced – this will keep your salad from getting too watery!

You will know English cucumbers by three criteria – they are a really deep green colour, the one end looks rather pinched instead of evenly rounded like the end of most cucumbers, and lastly, English cucumbers are almost always wrapped in plastic at the grocery store.

FRESH DILL VS DRIED

If you don’t have any fresh dill on hand but still want to make Dill and Cucumber Salad, you can. Let me go on record right here and right now. Substituting dried dill will give you dill flavour, but it’s just not quite as good as fresh dill. The fresh dill is what makes this simple salad so extraordinary.

So, if you need to substitute fresh dill for dried dill, it’s easy to do. For this particular recipe, you need to use 1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill. That would be equal to four teaspoons of dried dill. Fresh dill is the obvious choice and there’s really no substitute for it.  You can use dried dill if you’re in a bind.  Dried dill is more pungent though, so you need to cut back on the amount you add to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Cucumbers – You can use any cucumber that you prefer, although, as previously mentioned, I would recommend English cucumbers.
• Dill – Use fresh dill for maximum flavour.
• Chives – Fresh chives give that fresh onion flavour.
• Rice Vinegar
• Avocado Oil – You can use extra virgin olive oil too.
• Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best.
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Chilies – I used a few lemon drop chilies for heat and colour. They are completely optional.

HOW TO MAKE A DILL AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Measure the vinegar, avocado oil, lemon juice, and garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Transfer the cucumbers to the mixing bowl along with the dill and chives and toss well to combine and coat with the dressing. Plate and garnish with chilies, if using.

STORING LEFTOVER SALAD

If you have any leftovers, the best way to store them would be to transfer the salad to a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Place it in the refrigerator. From the time the salad is first prepared, it will last in the fridge for two days.

The cucumbers will release a lot of water, which will certainly impact the overall look of the salad. But, since the dressing is made with oil and vinegar, it would make a huge difference. Be sure to toss the salad well each time you remove some from the bowl.

If you feel that you might not want any leftovers at all, take a look at the size of the recipe. You can just half every single ingredient to make a salad that’s half the size. As written, the recipe will serve four people as a side.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!