Austrian Cucumber Salad features thinly sliced cucumbers nestled in a tangy vinaigrette with fresh dill. This classic side dish is popular in both Austria and Germany, however, the German version is creamy. This is a lighter version that pairs beautifully with Wiener Schnitzel!

Austrian Cucumber Salad garnished with fresh dill weed.

What’s the difference between German cucumber salad and Austrian cucumber salad?

The German version is a creamy cucumber salad that typically incorporates sour cream or yogurt. The Austrian version is a vinaigrette-based side dish and does not contain any dairy. Both include fresh dill as the star ingredient and are served slightly chilled.

Tips for keeping the cucumbers crisp

Slice the cucumber about 1/8th of an inch; if you slice them thinner, they tend to lose firmness when marinating in the vinaigrette
Generously salt the slices and place on a paper towel; the salt draws out the moisture keeping the cucumber firm; do not sweat the slices in salt more than 10-minutes
After the sweating process, gently pat dry the slices-do not place them in a dishrag and squeeze out the moisture. If you do this, you’re crushing the remaining cell walls that keep the cucumber firm. Gentle is key here for a crispy cucumber salad.

Ingredients

Cucumbers – 2 large English or 3 regular, thinly sliced
Salt
Red onion – finely minced
Oil – neutral flavor-vegetable, canola, grapeseed or avocado
Apple cider vinegar
Granulated sugar
Dill weed – fresh dill weed works best, but you can substitute with dried dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste

Storage and Make Ahead

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. For best results, drain the vinaigrette and store it in a separate jar; this prevents the cucumbers from getting soggy.
To make ahead, prep the cucumbers, chop the dill, make the vinaigrette; store all three in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. When ready to serve, add vinaigrette and fresh dill; allow to rest for 10-minutes then serve.

How to make cucumber salad

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Austrian Cucumber Salad in decorative blue and white serving bowl.

Austrian Style Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)

Thinly sliced cucumbers in a tangy vinaigrette dressing garnished with fresh dill.

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Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Austrian

Prep Time: 10

Chill time: 15

Total Time: 25

Yield: 1/2 cup servings

Author: Anecia Hero

Equipment

Mandolin or sharp knife

Ingredients

2 large English cucumbers , or 3 regular cucumbers
1 tablespoon red onion, finely minced
3 tablespoons neutral oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed or avocado)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons fresh dill weed, chopped -See recipe for using dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Slice cucumbers into rounds; make them paper thin (1/8" inch); place cucumber slices in a single layer on paper towels and salt generously; allow to rest 10 minutes then pat dry cucumbers and transfer to a mixing bowl
2 large English cucumbers
In a small mixing bowl, combine following ingredients and drizzle over cucumbers; cover and refrigerate at least 10 minutes; taste for salt and pepper; when ready to serve, add fresh dill weed, combine and serve chilled.
1 tablespoon red onion, finely minced, 3 tablespoons neutral oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed or avocado), 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons fresh dill weed, chopped

If you're using dried dill weed, you would substitute 2 Tablespoons of fresh dill weed for 2 teaspoons of dried, and add the dried in with the dressing. If using fresh dill weed, add it last after the salad has marinated.

Notes

There are two variations of this salad:

In Austria, the cucumber salad is dressed with a vinaigrette; in Germany, the recipe includes a little sour cream or yogurt, and is creamy.

Yield:

The recipe, as written yields four ½ cup servings.

Two large, thinly sliced cucumbers yield about 2 ½ cups; however, after they marinate, the yield reduces to about 2 cups. If you’re making this for a crowd, you might want to double or even triple the recipe.

Dried dill weed vs. fresh dill weed:

If you don’t have fresh dill weed, you can substitute with dried dill. Since dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs, you’ll want to use less dried dill and add it to the salad when you add the dressing.

use this ratio:

1 teaspoon of dried herbs = 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of fresh herbs

In the recipe as written, you would substitute 2 Tablespoons of fresh dill weed for 2 teaspoons of dried, and add the dried in with the dressing. If using fresh dill weed, add it last after the salad has marinated.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 30kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.05gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 173IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 0.5mg

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