A classic salad to have on-hand all summer long is this cucumber and onion salad. Sometimes I include tomatoes in the mix if they are ripe and delicious, but I only do this when I will be serving all of it within a couple hours. Unlike the onion and cucumber, the tomatoes don't store well over a longer time.
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| Julian's Cucumber and Onion Salad |
You'll note in the photo that the cucumber mixture is barely covered with the marinade. As the mixture sits in the refrigerator liquid from the cucumbers will be released and the marinade will eventually cover the cucumbers and onions. It is for this reason I do not like to add too much marinade at the beginning
As I like to keep a dish of this simple, refreshing salad marinating in the refrigerator most of the summer, I often just add the tomatoes when I'm serving it if they are wonderfully ripe and flavorful. Otherwise just a dish of cucumbers and onions when marinated in this simple sauce is great when the weather is warm.
I'm using red onions as I like the look and taste, but do note that the longer they sit in the marinade the more pink the marinade will become. It is for this reason some prefer to use white onions or even sweet vedalia onions.
Ingredients (4-6 servings)
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large English (seedless) cucumber
1/2 large onion (red, white or sweet vedalia)
Instructions
Note: If you are planning to keep a dish in the refrigerator for several days, you should omit the oil from the recipe, and just drizzle a little on each serving. This is because the oil will eventually solidify in the refrigerator, which will not be harmful but it will not look good. Alternatively, if you want to add the oil when you make the dish, let servings sit at room temperature until they warm enough for the oil to turn back into a liquid.
Whisk the water, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. Slice the cucumbers (some prefer them very thin, others thicker) and the red onion. Toss the cucumbers and onion together in an airtight container. I prefer a container that is shallow and wide so as to submerse them in the marinade. The container should be both air and water tight ideally. Poor the marinade mixture over the cucumbers and onions and stir to coat.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, carefully tossing the mixture in the container a couple times as it marinates. If your container is not water tighter, open and stir to coat the ingredients.
This mixture will hold in your refrigerator all week long and you can add more cucumbers and/or onions as needed for 2-3 weeks.
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