Sweet and Tangy Marinated Cucumbers
Published Aug 09, 2021•Updated Jul 21, 2022
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Tart and sweet, marinated cucumbers can be made ahead with ingredients you already have on-hand. No cooking required. Serve this fresh side dish with heartier main dishes, rice-based meals, grilled proteins, burgers, or with any summer meal.
Simple Summer Sides
All this week we’re celebrating simple summer sides! It’s hot outside and beautiful produce is in-season, so I know we’re all looking for more ways to prepare those vegetables.
Follow along as I share my five current favorite summer sides that use one vegetable, pantry staples, and maybe a few herbs or aromatics to round things out. This includes:
- Sweet And Tangy Marinated Cucumbers (featured here)
- Crisp Corn Fritters
- Pan-Seared Zucchini with Garlic and Basil
- Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes
- Spicy Szechuan-Style Green Beans
What You’ll Love About This Side Dish
Marinated cucumbers have all the sweet-tart crunch of pickles but can go from garden to table in just 30 minutes. Whisk up the sweet and tangy marinade, fold in those cucumbers, and refrigerate before serving to let those flavors shine.
What to Serve with Marinated Cucumbers
- Salmon Burgers with Creamy Lemon Herb Sauce
- Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders with Hot Honey
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
- Maple Barbecue Grilled Chicken
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Sweet and Tangy Marinated Cucumbers
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp minced Red or White Onion
- 3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar (substitute white wine vinegar)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (see note)
- 1 lb Cucumbers, thinly sliced (look for small or seedless cucumbers, if using larger cucumbers, peel first)
- Chopped Fresh Mint or Parsley (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together onion, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and kosher salt until sugar and salt dissolve.
- Add cucumbers to dressing and gently fold to coat all of the cucumbers in dressing.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve (these are best if they’ve had at least 30 minutes in the fridge and can be made up to a day ahead).
- Optional: Just before serving, drain liquid off cucumbers. (This will likely depend on what you are serving with the cucumbers. The flavorful marinde is great if you are serving the cucumbers over rice or another grain that will soak it up.)
- Stir in fresh mint or parsley. Serve chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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It came out delicious, I only used avocado 🥑 oil instead. Perfect taste.
Perfect – so glad you enjoyed it!