Refreshing Cucumber Salad with Vinegar Dressing

Serves: 4 people or 2 bears

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Bear Hands (author): There are many cucumber salads in the world—and this one is mine. It’s easy. It’s breezy. And it’s guaranteed to disappear quickly from any table it graces. I hope you’ll make it and share it with the people you love.

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Hubby Bear (eater): This is the perfect side dish on a hot day with a greasy main dish. It’s light and refreshing.

A crisp, cold cucumber salad is a small luxury—and a constant in our household. Even when there are other vegetable dishes on the table, this salad always earns its place. It’s vibrant, light, and astonishingly easy… which is probably why people are always surprised when they find out just how little effort it takes.

🧅 Planning Ahead

This dish may be simple, but its magic hinges on one key step: marinating the onions overnight. That extra time transforms them from a topping into a fully infused flavor element—the dressing and onions meld into something greater than the sum of their parts.

If you're short on time, try to give the mixture at least a couple of hours to mingle. Even a brief soak helps soften the bite and deepen the flavor, but overnight is where the real alchemy happens.

🥒 Cucumber Slice Style

At our house, we love thick chunks of cucumber—about ½ to 1 inch rounds. They stay crisp, hold their shape, and soak up just the right amount of marinade without turning watery.

You can slice them thinner if you prefer a softer bite, but keep in mind: thinner slices release more water and can dilute the dressing. For that reason, we don’t recommend using a mandoline. The thicker slices give you that refreshing crunch that makes the dish shine. You can make them thinner, but use a knife and not a mandoline.

🌱 Dressing Note

The dressing used in this recipe is Wish‑Bone Italian. While all listed ingredients appear plant‑based, the label includes “natural flavors”, which can sometimes be sourced from either plants or animals. If you’re strictly plant‑based, consider using a certified vegan Italian dressing or making your own simple vinaigrette (olive oil, vinegar, herbs) to ensure the recipe aligns with your dietary needs.

Detailed recipe:

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Refreshing Cucumber Salad with Vinegar Dressing

Yield: 4

Author: Bear Hands

Cook time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A crisp, cold cucumber salad made with Italian dressing.

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Ingredients

• ½ cup Maui sweets or vidalia onions, or whatever the sweetest onion you have available to you is. Thinly sliced.
• ½ bottle Wish-Bone 15oz Italian dressing
• 1–2 medium cucumbers, sliced into thick rounds
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (or more to taste)
• Black pepper, to taste
• Optional; celery salt, to taste.

Instructions

Make the marinated onions (at least the night before)

1. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, thinly slice the onion. Place the slices into a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Pour the dressing over the onions, seal, and shake gently to combine. Refrigerate overnight (or longer).

Prep the cucumbers

1. Shortly before serving, wash and slice your cucumbers into rounds—about ½ to 1 inch thick, depending on your preference. Thicker slices stay crisper, while thinner ones absorb more of the flavorful marinade – we like thick slices at our house. Peel them if you prefer, but it’s optional.

Assemble the salad

1. In a serving bowl, toss the cucumbers with the chopped parsley and black pepper and celery salt ( if you chose to include it ). Retrieve your marinated onions and dressing from the fridge. Spoon the onions and as much of the dressing as you like over the cucumbers—more if you enjoy a juicier salad, less if you prefer a lighter hand.

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Easy-follow Recipe:

Beforehand: 🧅 Marinate Onions

Ingredients:
½ cup Maui sweets or Vidalia onions
½ bottle Wish-Bone Italian dressing (15 oz)

Tasks:
- Thinly slice onion using mandoline or sharp knife.
- Place slices in a jar or container with lid.
- Pour dressing over onions, seal, and shake to coat.
- Refrigerate overnight (or less if pressed for time).

Step 1: 🥒 Prep Cucumbers

Ingredients:
1–2 medium cucumbers

Tasks:
- Optional: run julienne peeler lengthwise on 3 sides for ridged edges.
- Slice cucumbers into ½–1 inch rounds.

Step 2: 🌿 Assemble Salad

Ingredients:
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Marinated onions & dressing (from above)
Pinch of celery salt (optional)

Tasks:
- In serving bowl, toss all ingredients together (cucumbers, parsley, black pepper, and celery salt).
- Spoon marinated onions and desired amount of dressing over cucumbers.
- Adjust dressing quantity based on preference (add salt or more dressing).