Sweet and Sour Cucumber and Vidalia Onion Salad
Looking for a refreshing and tangy salad? Try this Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad recipe with Vidalia onions for a burst of flavor in every bite!
We Georgians are pretty darned proud of our agricultural products. Believe me.
Growing up as the daughter of a farmer in rural southern Georgia, I learned to have a deep appreciation for the amount of work and stress involved in getting a crop from farm to table.
When the harvest finally came about it was always a time of pride and thanksgiving. Pride in a job well done. Thanks that the rains came at the right time. Thanks that the insects didn’t eat everything before it was gathered. And thanks that you simply had the physical stamina to see it through from start to finish.
That’s why I so appreciate seeing Georgia products in my local grocery store. Recently, when I was grocery shopping, I saw several bundles of baby Vidalia onions. If you’re wondering just what a Vidalia onion is, take a quick peek at this post from the past. It’ll get you up to speed.
Even if you don’t have baby Vidalias in your grocery store, you can easily make this cucumber salad recipe with mature Vidalias or any other sweet onion that you like. They all work just as well for this delicious and very refreshing recipe.
I just love the contrasting tastes in this recipe. The bite of the vinegar against the sweetness of the sugar and the crunch of the fresh cucumber slices and onions. It’s one that we enjoy again and again throughout the year. It’s a great side dish for spring and summer dinners and is always a hit at picnics and potlucks.
❤️ Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s so refreshing on a hot day! The combination of vinegar and sugar creates a perfectly balanced sweet and sour dressing that adds a zesty kick to the crisp cucumber slices and onions.
- Versatile ingredients — While the recipe does call for baby Vidalia onions, you have the flexibility to use mature Vidalias, sweet Walla Walla onions, or even red onions. The salad adapts beautifully to whichever onion variety you prefer or have on hand.
- It’s customizable — Don’t have fresh dill? No problem! Simply substitute dried dill weed instead. Plus, if you’re watching your sugar intake, you can easily use a sugar substitute like Splenda without sacrificing the deliciousness of the salad.
🛒 Ingredient Notes
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- Cucumbers – Cucumbers are the base of the salad, providing a beautifully crisp element. Opt for Kirby cucumbers for their crunch, or consider English cucumbers with thin skins and fewer seeds as an alternative.
- Baby Vidalia onions – Baby Vidalia onions are often found in southern produce sections during the spring. They add a gentle bite to the salad and lend a subtle sweetness. Substitute mature Vidalias or Walla Walls if they’re not available to you.
- Carrots – Grated carrots introduce a vibrant pop of color and a hint of natural sweetness to the salad. They provide a satisfying crunch that complements the cucumber and onion textures, enhancing both the visual appeal and the overall taste.
- Vinegar and Sugar – The combination of white vinegar and sugar forms the heart of the dressing, creating the signature sweet and sour profile. This dynamic duo brings out the best in the vegetables and elevates the entire dish.
- Fresh dill – Fresh dill’s grassy and slightly anise-like flavor harmonizes well with the sweet and sour elements of the dish.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🔪 How to Make Sweet and Sour Cucumber and Vidalia Onion Salad
- Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers. Then thinly slice the Vidalia onions and grate the carrots.
- Toss the vegetables together in a medium bowl.
👉 PRO TIP: As I said earlier in this post, you can really use any kind of onions in this recipe. If baby Vidalias are out of season, feel free to use regular Vidalias or <gasp> Walla Walla onions. Any nice sweet onion is good here. To tell you the truth, I’ve made this with thinly sliced red onions a couple of times, and even though they have a stronger taste, it was still delicious in the end.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together and pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies.
- Pour over the veggies and toss until everything is coated well.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve later.
🍚 How to Store
This salad keeps well for three to four days if stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
❓ Questions About Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad
I like to use the Kirby type of cucumbers for this salad. But whatever cucumbers you may have on hand are fine, too. I think English cucumbers (or hothouse cucumbers) are a good substitute since they have nice thin skins and relatively few seeds.
No fresh dill? Substitute dried dill weed (2 teaspoons) instead.
Sure! I’ve made this salad many times by substituting Splenda for the sugar.
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HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
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📖 Recipe
Sweet and Sour Cucumber and Vidalia Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Kirby type cucumbers peeled, thinly sliced
- 2 cups baby Vidalia onions thinly sliced
- 2 carrots peeled and grated
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar or equal amount of sugar substitute
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers. Then thinly slice the Vidalia onions and grate the carrots.
- Toss the vegetables together in a medium bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together and pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies.
- Pour over the veggies and toss until everything is coated well.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve later.
Notes
- Store for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Substitute any sweet onion for the baby Vidalias.
- Substitute 2 teaspoons dried dill weed for the fresh dill.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on Lana’s Cooking on April 13, 2012. It has been updated with additional information.
I love to know that Vidalias have such a special place for you! I visited Georgia a number of years ago, was on a tour of Vidalia onion farming. It was so very interesting. LOVE this salad. And thank you for featuring my own Vidalia recipe!
it is strange you posted about baby vidalias ’cause just the other day I held a bunch of spring onions admiring them so and wishing for your sweet Georgia gems – cannot wait for the harvest.
now I am also jealous that you have Kirby cukes now too – darn you Georgians…
Great recipe, I do a vinegar bath regularly on onions and tomatoes but I haven’t had this type of salad in a while, gonna do it again soon, so good with fresh vegetables…
This sounds perfect for this time of year and summertime!
Great with BBQs and beer…This will be a hit for the weekend!
Such a refreshing summer salad…thanks for the retro recipe!
Oh gosh, I haven’t had cukes & onions in vinegar, in years. My Mother would make it quite often when I was a child, as it was one of my Father’s favourites. It was also the only “salad” my Father would eat, as according to dear old Dad, greens were for feeding the rabbits, not humans!
Mother didn’t add carrots or dill to hers, just vinegar salt & sugar, but your addition of carrots & dill makes the dish look so much prettier, & I suspect, a lot tastier with the fresh dill.
As always, thanks for the memory nudge Lana!