Gurkensalat is what we in America know as Cucumber Salad. It is originally from Germany, and we owe it to German immigrants who, long ago, brought this, one of their favorite dishes, with them. It soon became popular in the States, especially in the south.
There are two classic versions of Gerkensalat, One has a creamy sauce, made with sour cream in it, and the other is a lighter version. This recipe is the lighter version, although I do include the optional garnishes of a dollop of sour cream and a cherry tomato.
While there are of course many slight variations on the traditional recipe, this one is my personal favorite. If you are preparing an authentic German meal of Weiner Schnitzel, this makes for a perfect and traditional side dish.
Gurkensalat Recipe-
Ingredients:
- 2 English cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground coarse sea salt
- 1 red or white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill minced
- sour cream (optional) for garnish
- cherry tomatoes (optional) for garnish
Directions:
- Season cucumbers with salt in a large bowl and let sweat 1 hour. Drain liquids and toss cucumbers with onion slices.
- In a small saucepan over high heat, pour in white vinegar and water and stir in sugar until dissolved and liquid turns clear, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour over cucumbers and onions. Stir in dill. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Serve your Gurkensalat cold or at room temperature. I prefer it cold, and often like to garnish each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream topped with a cherry tomato placed in the center of each serving.
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Yummy sounding salad! With the hot season coming up, I think this would be nice to serve chilled.
Margo, yes – this salad served chilled is wonderful for a hot day’s lunch. 🙂
I really like the looks of this salad. The vinegar and sugar contrast, with the sour cream garnish is very appealing. Definitely worth a try!
Barb, go for it – definitely worth a try, and I bet you will add it to your list of fave salads.
Gurkensalat, huh? LOL, looks like good old cucumber salad my Grams used to make me down in Georgia. Tasted great, too, so I am glad to find a recipe for this!
Sally, yes, this German-based recipe is very popular in the US South – enjoy!