My grandma has been making this awesome summer salad for as long as I can remember. It’s always present at family picnics, and is especially good with fried chicken and potato salad. It would seem everyone has a version of cucumber salad that they make and love, but nobody makes it like my grandma.
*Note: If you decide to make this salad with mayonnaise, add the 1/4 cup sugar. If you use Miracle Whip, omit the sugar, or use less. Miracle Whip is much sweeter than regular mayonnaise.
~ serves 8 ~
5 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced very thin
1 large onion, peeled, sliced very thin, and separated into rings
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise OR Miracle Whip
1/4 cup sugar (*omit if using Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup fresh, chopped dill OR 2 Tablespoons dry dill
salt and pepper, to taste**
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or until very cold. This salad will keep, covered in your refrigerator, for 5 days.
from Chin Deep.
Wendy's Note: this recipe is exactly the same as the one I got from my Auntie Kay. However, her recipe calls for the thinly sliced cucumber and onion to be drained for a few hours before making the salad (combining with other ingredients). I highly recommend this step, as these vegetables are very high in water content and the salad will get very sloppy / watery if you do not drain. Place sliced veggies in cheesecloth, salting every few layers, and let drain, squeezing gently at the end. OR In a large colander layer the vegetables, salting generously every inch or so. When all the vegetables are layered, top with a side plate with a weight on it to press down the layers. Sit in the sink to drain. Press plate at end to squeeze out the last bit. Continue with recipe.
*It was suggested that you rinse the vegetable at the end to wash off the salt added. However, to me this would seem to add liquid again, so I omit this and just do not add any additional salt to the recipe when I combine it with the other ingredients. Use your own discretion!
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