Salad with Lightly Pickled Cucumbers, Dill and Onion Recipe
This salad with lightly pickled cucumbers, dill and onion is a very Polish, summery side made straight from the jar sitting on the kitchen counter. It’s distinctly salty-sour, very dill-forward, with crunchy cucumber slices and a sharper note from thinly sliced onion. A dressing based on the brine from the cucumbers boosts the flavor, so just a few ingredients turn into a characteristic, intense salad.
This is a typically Polish way to quickly use up lightly pickled cucumbers from the jar, often appearing in summer alongside grilled dishes or fried fish. Instead of classic creamy cucumber salad, it’s based on the more intense brine from lightly pickled cucumbers.
This version truly tastes like lightly pickled cucumbers because, instead of a classic vinaigrette, it uses a dressing made from the jar brine. A few simple ingredients turn into a very distinctive, sharp and refreshing side. It makes great use of cucumbers that are ready to eat before they become fully fermented.
Why this version works
- Thicker cucumber slices stay crunchy even after a short time mingling with the dressing.
- A dressing made with the cucumber brine boosts the characteristic flavor, so there’s no need for vinegar or lemon juice.
- Briefly soaking the onion softens its sharpness but keeps a fresh, pronounced character.
- Adding the dressing gradually makes it easy to control the level of saltiness and acidity.
Chef's tips
Always taste the dressing before adding it to the salad – brines vary in saltiness, so sometimes one tablespoon is enough and sometimes you need two., The most common mistake is tossing the salad too vigorously, which breaks the cucumbers and makes everything look like pickles floating in brine. Mix gently until the slices are just thinly coated and lightly glossy.
How to serve
Serve with grilled dishes, fried fish, meat patties or potato pancakes – its acidity is great for refreshing richer foods., It also works well as a side for sandwiches with cold cuts, pâté or hard-boiled eggs., On a very hot day, a slice of bread with butter and a big bowl of this salad is all you need for a light supper.
Watch out for
- Don’t add all the dressing at once – the cucumbers will also release juice and the salad can end up too salty.
- Don’t slice the cucumbers too thinly, or they’ll soften quickly after mixing and lose their crunch.
- Wet, undried dill will water down the dressing and weaken the flavor – always dry it well.
Substitutions
- Instead of rapeseed oil you can use a mild olive oil for a subtle Mediterranean note.
- You can replace the sugar with honey, which will add a more complex, honeyed sweetness.
- You can swap red onion for spring onion or shallots if you prefer a milder flavor.
Ingredients
- lightly pickled cucumbers - 400 g
- onion red or white - 1 piece
- fresh dill - 0.5 bunch
- oil rapeseed or sunflower - 2 tablespoons
- brine from lightly pickled cucumbers - 2 tablespoons
- sugar - 0.5 teaspoons
- pepper black, freshly ground
Preparation
- Wash the lightly pickled cucumbers, and if they are very salty, briefly rinse them and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice into fairly thick rounds or half-moons, about 0.5 cm – after mixing they should stay firm and distinctly crunchy.
- Peel the onion and slice it into very thin feathers. If it’s eye-wateringly sharp, pour cold water or a tablespoon of cucumber brine over it for 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly – it should soften slightly and lose its raw harshness.
- Rinse the dill and dry it very thoroughly (wet dill will thin the dressing), trim off the thicker stalks and chop finely. Put the cucumbers, onion and dill into a large bowl so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- In a small bowl mix the oil, 1 tablespoon of cucumber brine and the sugar. Stir until the crystals are completely dissolved and the dressing is uniform and slightly cloudy. Taste – it should be distinctly salty-sour with the flavor gently rounded by the sugar.
- Pour half of the dressing over the vegetables and very gently mix with your hand or a large spoon, lifting the slices from the bottom so they don’t break. The cucumbers should be just thinly coated and lightly glossy, not swimming in dressing.
- If the salad seems too dry, add the rest of the dressing and season with freshly ground pepper. Stir again until the onion and dill are evenly distributed among the cucumber slices.
- Set the salad aside for 5–10 minutes at room temperature, until the cucumbers release a little juice and a thin layer of liquid appears at the bottom and everything looks clearly glossy. When touched, the cucumbers should still be springy. Taste and, if needed, add a little more brine or dill, then serve immediately.
Storage
It’s best on the day it’s made, when the cucumbers are at their crunchiest., In the fridge it will keep until the next day, but the slices will soften, release more juice and the flavor will become more distinctly salty and sour.
When the cucumbers are exceptionally crunchy, I often make this salad “by eye” over the sink, just tasting the dressing every now and then. For guests I always lightly “marinate” the onion in the brine, because then even people who usually avoid it come back for seconds.
