Cucumber Ranch Salad Recipe

Crispy fresh cucumbers and onions bathed in creamy Ranch dressing come together for this super simple crunchy Cucumber Ranch Salad. It doesn’t get any easier than this to make a refreshing and crisp simple salad.

Cucumber Salad

Diced cucumbers left to soak in water and salt so they are super crisp are then tossed with sweet onions and creamy Ranch Dressing for a light and refreshing cucumber salad to pair with your favorite meal.

Cucumber Salad With Ranch Dressing

Made with simple ingredients, this cucumber salad will make the perfect addition to any meal. Cool and invigorating the creaminess of this salad makes it ideal as a summer salad for picnics, potlucks, or as a cooling start to a spicy or grilled meal.  

If you love cucumber salads you are sure to love these too: Greek Style Cucumber Salad and this Cucumber and Tomato Salad With Yogurt Dressing 

Cucumber Ranch Salad

If you’re worried your fresh cucumbers are going to get soggy if you make this cucumber salad, worry not. I have just the foolproof method for crispy, crunchy cucumbers. All you have to do is soak the cucumbers in salted water for a few hours to remove the excess moisture and voila your cucumbers will stay nice and crispy. Give yourself a few hours to allow the cucumbers to soak before you want to serve the salad.

Ingredients for Creamy Cucumber Salad with Ranch Dressing

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe. 

• Cucumbers  – Washed and sliced in half then sliced in pieces. (I leave the skin on, but you can peel it off if you prefer)
• Onion –  I used a small sweet onion but I sometimes use green onions. Red onion will also work. 
• Ranch dressing – Use more or less to taste of your favorite Ranch dressing. I often make my cucumber salad with Hidden Valley Ranch but any type of ranch dressing will work. I also use fat-free and it makes this salad nice and light!
• Salt and pepper – Add salt and black pepper to taste.
• Cold water 

How to make this garden cucumber salad

After you soak the cucumbers, this ranch cucumber salad recipe comes together quickly and easily. 

Slice cucumbers and place in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and give a generous sprinkling of salt.

Place in refrigerator for a couple of hours (or overnight) to soak. This will keep the cucumbers firm.

Drain water. Add onions, and toss with ranch dressing. Give it a sprinkle of pepper and you’re all done!

Leftover cucumber and ranch salad will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container or put the whole bowl covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing cucumber salad. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this creamy ranch cucumber salad recipe make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

FAQs about the best cucumber salad

• How do you keep cucumber salad from getting soggy? If you soak the cucumbers in salt water before assembling the salad, the salt will draw out the excess moisture so the cucumbers stay nice and crisp. 

• How do you make cucumber salad without watering it?  In this recipe, I recommend soaking the diced cucumbers in cold, salted water to remove the moisture. If you don’t soak them in the salted water you should salt the cucumber slices so the salt can draw out the moisture from the cucumbers. This will help reduce the chances of the cucumbers getting soggy. 

• Should you salt cucumbers for salad? Yes, I always recommend salting cucumbers before adding them to a salad so they don’t get mushy. You want to make sure you have crisp cucumbers in the salad. 

• What makes cucumbers taste better? Salting cucumbers before serving them will help remove some of the bitterness and improve their overall flavor.

• Do you peel cucumbers for salad? You don’t have to peel cucumbers for salad. This is a personal choice. However, some cucumbers have thicker peels than clothes. Field cucumbers for example have a thicker peel than Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers so you may want to peel them. 

• What goes with cucumber salad?  In my humble opinion, anything goes with cucumber salad but I especially like grilled foods like brats, burgers, and hot dogs.

What do you do with too many cucumbers?

If you’ve got an abundance of cucumbers on hand you can make a few batches of this salad, turn them into pickles, add them to a pitcher of water, throw in gazpacho, or make a cucumber salsa. Try my cucumber ranch baguettes, or add them to a garden fresh hoagie. Or, try this recipe for Cucumber Lemonade.

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

Tips & Tricks

• Make sure to uniformly cut the cucumber chunks as this makes for a consistent texture.

• Add chopped fresh herbs like fresh parsley or fresh dill for added flavor. 

• Prepare your own ranch dressing using sour cream or Greek yogurt and a ranch dressing mix for this creamy cucumber salad recipe.

• For more crunch and a pop of color throw in bell peppers, any color is good. 

• Try adding chopped tomatoes for a ranch cucumber tomato salad for more color and flavor.

More Recipes to Love

This easy recipe for zesty cucumber salad is a great recipe for those hot summer days when you’re craving something cool and refreshing.