Viennese Cucumber Salad

This is a light, simple, and delicious Old World dish that’s somewhere between a salad and a light pickle. It's an ideal side-dish along with a rich stew or goulash.

You want the cucumbers sliced very thin and very consistently here, so either a mandolin or a food processor fitted with a slicing disk will work best.

For a crunchy variation, mix the finished salad with a handful of thinly sliced fennel bulb and a tablespoon or so of minced fennel fronds.

Ingredients #

Instructions #

Score the cucumbers lengthwise with a fork and slice very thin. In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers with the salt and let stand for 1 hour.

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar and water to a boil with the sugar, garlic, dill seed, and celery seed, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a colander, drain the cucumbers and rinse them thoroughly under cold water. Drain the cucumbers very well, squeezing out excess liquid.

In a non-reactive bowl, combine the cucumbers and the dressing and marinate, covered and chilled, for at least 1 hour (and up to 2 hours — after that, the cucumber skins will discolor, but this will not change the taste).