Name: Cucumber Pickle Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs Persian or English cucumbers (sliced into coins about 1/4 inch thick); 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved, any color works); 1 tsp kosher salt (divided); 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (see notes on substitutions); 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin); 1 tsp granulated sugar; 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground); 1 small shallot (thinly sliced, about 2 tablespoons); 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (loosely packed, torn or left whole if small, add at serving only)

From the roundup: 22 Refrigerator Pickle Cucumber Salad Recipes to Serve as a Dinner Side Dish

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This cucumber pickle salad has become my go-to for nights when dinner is already complicated and I just need a side dish that takes care of itself. You spend about 15 minutes slicing and mixing, then the fridge does the rest. The cucumbers and cherry tomatoes sit in a white balsamic and red wine vinegar brine for at least an hour, though overnight is genuinely better.

The trick that makes this different from a plain cucumber salad is salting the cucumbers first and letting them drain. Skipping that step means the brine turns thin and watery by the time you serve it. Ten minutes of patience there makes a real difference in the final bowl.

Fresh basil goes in at the very end, right before you put it on the table. Basil goes dark and limp fast in acid, so this is not a step to do ahead. Everything else can wait in the fridge for up to four days, and honestly the brine gets better on day two when the tomato juice has fully worked its way in.

How this one came together

I first made this for a neighborhood cookout where I had volunteered to bring a salad and then completely forgot until the morning of. I had two cucumbers, a pint of cherry tomatoes that needed to be used, and a bottle of white balsamic I had bought for something else. I threw it together before noon and stuck it in the fridge, genuinely not sure it would be good. By the time we got to the cookout that evening it had been sitting for about six hours, and the brine had turned this beautiful pinkish-red from the tomatoes. People asked for the recipe before we even sat down.

My kids are split on it. Two of mine will eat it happily, one picks out the tomatoes and eats only the cucumbers, and that is fine because the cucumbers on their own are still really good after a night in the brine.

Why you will love this

Only 15 minutes of actual work, then the fridge handles everything else
The brine gets noticeably better on day two as the tomato juice mixes in
White balsamic keeps the color light so the cucumbers and tomatoes still look fresh
No cooking required, which matters when the oven is already full
Keeps for up to four days, so it doubles as lunch the next day

Tips for success

Salt the cucumbers first and let them sit for 10 minutes before draining. This pulls out extra moisture so your brine stays concentrated instead of watered down by the end of day one.
Use white balsamic, not regular. Regular balsamic darkens everything and adds a stronger sweetness that competes with the cucumber. If white balsamic is not available, white wine vinegar is a cleaner swap.
Taste the brine before you pour it over. If your tomatoes are on the tart side, a small pinch more sugar smooths it out. It should taste tangy with just a hint of sweetness in the background.
Add the basil only at serving. I made the mistake of stirring it in the night before once, and by morning it was dark, slimy, and unpleasant. Tear it in right before the bowl hits the table.

If your salad turns watery

The most common cause is skipping the salting step. Salt draws moisture out of the cucumbers before they go into the brine, so the liquid stays flavorful instead of diluted.
Pressing the cucumbers gently with a paper towel after draining helps too. You do not need to wring them out, just a light press to remove pooled liquid.
If the brine looks thin after overnight, drain off a tablespoon or two of liquid before serving. The salad will still taste good.
Persian or English cucumbers work best here because they have fewer seeds and thinner skins than standard cucumbers, which means less water released overall.

Substitutions

White wine vinegar works in place of red wine vinegar if that is what you have on hand. Regular balsamic can substitute for white balsamic, but use about half the amount and taste as you go because the flavor is much stronger and will darken the brine considerably. Grape tomatoes work just as well as cherry tomatoes. Fresh parsley or fresh oregano can stand in for basil if that is what you have, though the flavor shifts a bit toward something more savory.

For picky eaters who do not love shallots, you can leave them out entirely or swap in a few thin rings of mild red onion. The shallot is subtle in the finished salad, but it is easy to omit without changing the rest of the recipe.

Make-ahead and storage

You can make the full salad, minus the basil, up to 24 hours ahead. It actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge than it does right after mixing. Store it sealed in an airtight container or jar and stir in fresh basil only when you are ready to serve. The tomatoes will soften a little more each day and the brine will deepen in flavor, which is not a problem.

Stored covered in the fridge, this salad keeps well for up to four days. Do not freeze it. The cucumbers and tomatoes will turn mushy and the texture will not recover once thawed.

Brittany Stage