Cucumber Salad

This is the cucumber salad I like on a busy braai table: simple, cool and crunchy, with thin red onion, fresh dill and a light sweet-and-sour dressing. There is no mayonnaise, and just enough sugar to soften the vinegar without making the salad taste sweet. Salting and drying the cucumber first makes a noticeable difference to the finished bowl.

That clean, tangy flavour is especially welcome with Lamb Sosaties, where it balances the rich meat and spiced marinade. It also cools the plate beside Peri-Peri Chicken and makes a fresh contrast to Boerewors and Pap.

For an easier afternoon, prepare the cucumber and dressing separately up to a day ahead and keep both covered in the fridge. Toss them together close to serving. Even without mayonnaise, this salad needs to stay cold: use a cooler box with ice packs outdoors, put out a small bowl at a time, and discard salad left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when temperatures exceed 32°C.

Tips & Techniques

• Keep the slices sturdy: Aim for 2-3 mm rather than paper-thin slices; they stay pleasantly crunchy after salting and dressing.
• Do not skip the drying: Draining removes some water, but patting the cucumber dry stops surface moisture from immediately diluting the dressing.
• Mellow the onion: Thin slices soften nicely in the vinegar dressing. For a particularly sharp onion, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes first, then drain and dry.
• Taste before adding salt: Some of the salting salt stays on the cucumber, so the dressing does not need a separate measure of salt.
• Serve cold, not beside the coals: Keep the serving bowl in the shade, ideally nested over ice, and replenish it from the fridge or cooler box.

Delicious Variations

• Creamy cucumber salad: Reduce the vinegar to 15 ml and replace the oil with 100 g plain double-cream yoghurt. Keep the sugar, onion and dill, and dress just before serving.
• Mint instead of dill: Replace the dill with 15 ml finely sliced fresh mint for a particularly good match with lamb.
• A little chilli: Add half a small green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced, to the dressing for a gentle kick.
• Tomato and cucumber: Add 200 g halved cherry tomatoes just before serving. This stretches the salad to about 8 modest side portions, but it will release more juice.

Serving Suggestions

• With lamb: Spoon alongside lamb sosaties or chops to balance their richness with a cool, vinegary crunch.
• With chicken: Pair with peri-peri chicken and warm roosterkoek for a satisfying plate with a refreshing contrast.
• With boerewors: Serve beside boerewors, pap and tomato smoor; drain each spoonful lightly so the dressing does not flood the plate.
• On a salad spread: Set it next to potato salad and three bean salad, allowing smaller portions when there are several sides.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Can I make cucumber salad the day before a braai?

Yes, but keep the components separate. Salt, drain and dry the cucumber, then refrigerate it in a covered container lined with kitchen paper for up to 24 hours. Refrigerate the onion in the dressing separately and add the cucumber and freshly chopped dill close to serving.

Q2: How long will leftovers keep?

Refrigerate promptly in a sealed container at 4°C or below and eat within 2 days. The cucumber will soften and release more liquid, so drain lightly before serving. Discard any salad that has exceeded the outdoor time limits rather than refrigerating it for later.

Q3: What can I use instead of white wine vinegar or fresh dill?

Apple cider vinegar works in the same quantity. For ordinary white spirit vinegar, start with 30 ml plus 15 ml water, then adjust to taste because its flavour can be sharper. Replace the dill with the same volume of fresh mint or parsley, or use 5 ml dried dill.

Q4: How many people does this recipe serve, and can I double it?

It serves 6 as one of several braai sides, or 4 if it is the main salad. Double all the ingredients for 12 side portions, but drain the cucumber in two batches or a large colander so it is not tightly packed.

Q5: Why is my cucumber salad watery even after salting?

Cucumber continues releasing moisture after it is dressed, so a little liquid is normal. Dry it thoroughly after draining, remove very soft seed centres and avoid dressing it hours in advance. Serve with a slotted spoon rather than adding more salt, which draws out still more water.

In Summary

This cucumber salad brings a crisp, tangy contrast to rich braai meat without much work or a heavy dressing. Drain the cucumber properly, dress it close to serving and keep it chilled for the best result.