Austrian Style Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)

Austrian Cucumber Salad in decorative blue and white serving bowl.

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Austrian Style Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)

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

Prep Time10

Chill time15

Total Time25

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Austrian

Servings: 1/2 cup servings

Calories: 30kcal

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