This authentic Hungarian Cucumber Salad (uborkasaláta) has been in my family for generations! It’s refreshing, crunchy, and creamy, plus it’s incredibly easy to make, doesn’t require any cooking and is the perfect side for just about any main dish.
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Cucumber salad is a popular dish in Hungarian cuisine and is loved for its crisp texture, vibrant flavors and simplicity. It’s one of those recipes I’ve been making since I was old enough to hold a knife! My dad was born in Budapest, Hungary, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1956. This recipe, along with countless others, is a family gem treasured by past generations and surely to be beloved by future generations!
It stars crisp cucumber slices, shallots and fresh dill in a tangy dressing made with white wine vinegar. A dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkling of Hungarian paprika add just the right amount of creaminess and sweetness.
It’s perfect to serve alongside traditional schnitzel, but it’s also just a great side to any sort of heartier chicken or pork dish. Best of all, you can jazz it up using different flavor profiles and seasonal veggies.
Why You’ll Love It
- Incredibly versatile and pairs well with a wide range of dishes. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing side dish, a light accompaniment to a main course, or a vibrant topping for sandwiches, Hungarian cucumber salad is an easy, flavorful option.
- Perfect for summer or whenever you feel like something light and fresh.
- Simple yet flavorful.
- The cucumbers retain their crisp texture for a satisfying crunch in every bite.
- Easy to make and can be made ahead.
- Cucumber: Choose firm and fresh cucumbers. English cucumbers or regular cucumbers work well for this salad. Peel them if desired and thinly slice them into rounds.
- Shallot: Adds a mild onion flavor to the dish. White or yellow onion could be substituted.
- Fresh dill: A key ingredient that contributes to the distinct flavor of the cucumber salad. Although fresh dill is best, you can use dried dill instead, but note that the flavor might be slightly different. Start with about ¼ teaspoon of dried dill, as it tends to have a more concentrated flavor compared to fresh dill.
- White wine vinegar: This provides tanginess to the salad. White wine vinegar is commonly used, but you can substitute it with other mild vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar. Choose a vinegar that suits your taste preferences.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar balances the acidity of the vinegar and adds a hint of sweetness.
- Sour cream: Some recipes call for mixing the sour cream into the salad, but often, like my family prefers, it’s dolloped on top as a garnish.
- Hungarian paprika: This spice holds great importance in Hungarian cuisine and is renowned for its distinctive flavor and vibrant red (or pale orange) color. There are roughly nine (!) different kinds of Hungarian paprika. From mild and sweet flavors to smoky, peppery and spicy, each variety varies in color, flavor and heat level. For this salad, I prefer sweet Hungarian paprika to balance out the sourness of the vinegar and the tanginess of the sour cream. If you can’t find Hungarian paprika, sweet paprika or regular paprika can be substituted.
Optional Add-In: One or two garlic cloves, either crushed or minced.
- Slice the cucumbers. The easiest way to achieve paper-thin slices of cucumber is to use a mandoline set to 1/16″ thickness. However, if you don’t have a mandoline, a sharp chef’s knife will work. Just be sure to slice the cucumber as thin as possible.
- Combine the cucumbers with the other ingredients. Add the cucumbers to a large bowl, then add the minced shallots, chopped fresh dill, white vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate. The salad should hang out in the fridge for at least one hour prior to serving to really let the flavors combine. Be sure to stir it occasionally to evenly coat the cucumbers.
- Scoop, garnish and serve. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the salad into serving dishes. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of Hungarian paprika.
Recipe Note: You can prepare the salad up to 24 hours in advance. Store in a covered, airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Slicing the cucumbers as thinly as possible is key for them to absorb the flavors of the dressing.
- Taste the dressing before adding it to the salad and adjust the seasonings as needed. If you prefer a tangier salad, add a bit more vinegar. If you prefer it sweeter, adjust the sugar accordingly.
- Allow the salad to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour to allow the flavors to meld together and enhance the overall taste. The longer the marination, the more pronounced the flavors will become.
- The cucumber salad will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Any longer and you risk losing the freshness factor.
Complete your Hungarian-inspired feast with these classic yet not always traditional, recipes.
- Hungarian Wienerschnitzel
- Hungarian Pea Soup with Nokedli
- Chocolate Rugelach
- Chicken Wienerschnitzel
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers
- 2 Tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Hungarian paprika, for garnish
Instructions
- Begin by slicing the cucumbers on a mandoline set to 1/16" thickness. Note: While a mandoline is best for ensuring paper thin slices, you can also just use a knife while making sure to slice the cucumber as thin as possible.
- Add the cucumbers to a large bowl, then add the minced shallots, chopped fresh dill, white vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir to combine ingredients then cover the bowl and refrigerate it, stirring occasionally, for at least one hour prior to serving. Note: You can prepare the salad up to 24 hours in advance.
- When ready to serve, use a slotted spoon to transfer the salad into serving dishes. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of Hungarian paprika.
Kelly's Notes:
- Slicing the cucumbers as thinly as possible is key for them to absorb the flavors of the dressing.
- Taste the dressing before adding it to the salad and adjust the seasonings as needed. If you prefer a tangier salad, add a bit more vinegar. If you prefer it sweeter, adjust the sugar accordingly.
- The cucumber salad will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Any longer and you risk losing the freshness factor.
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I love making Hungarian cucumber salad, especially with paprikas csirke. However, my recipe is tad simpler – 2 cucumbers, sliced paper thin, 1 cup Hungarian dressing, which is simply 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, dash of freshly ground pepper. We do add a tablespoon of fresh dill, but not sour cream. I might consider adding the shallot and sour cream if doing it for something like schnitzel but as paprikas csirke has sour cream in it, it would be rather redundant. I look forward to trying it your way.
Thanks for sharing this, Leslie!
My in-laws made this (from Hungary) but left out the shallots and didn’t add garlic. I think I am going to try these additions, but I am going to slice the shallot on the mandolin as well, so it doesn’t overwhelm. This sound great, can’t wait to make it!
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Brenda!
Without garlic it’s not Hungarian, Huh!…….Thanks to the Hungarian kitchen police! Seriously I get so tired of the kitchen police dictating what is or is not Hungarian.
With or without garlic, I hope you enjoy the recipe! :)
I’m also a balogh. I can assure you, if it’s a balogh making it, it’s Hungarian whether or not there is garlic in it.
Thank you for this delicious recipe, Kelly!
You are so welcome, Kelsey! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
We use garlic (crush a small piece so as not to overwhelm the salad) and we salt the cucumbers, let them stand for about an hour and then squeeze them. Place the squeezed, drained cucumbers in a bowl and add the vinegar-sugar dressing with paprika and the dill. You can mix the sour cream into the salad or not. My grandparents (both pairs) emigrated from Austro-Hungary prior to WW One, so this recipe is from way back before the Nazis and Communists. Nice to see someone celebrate their Hungarian heritage. We recently went to Hungary and visited our family towns. We also traveled by car all over the place. I made it a quest for cucumber salad and found the one most like this in Gyor. The Hungarian name for cucumber salad is ubora salata. Best regards, Mary
I am so happy to find this recipe! I, too, have Hungarian heritage (my father was born there), and my grandmother made a salad like this. This is the first time I’ve seen an actual recipe for it. Thank you for the post.
dear, the garlic left out from the recepie!!!! without garlic it is not a hungarian cucumber salad :(
I am eating this as I type and I have found a new love with cucumber. Thank you for this recipe! :)
Kelly, thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time. My grandmother used to make it and no one had gotten the recipe before she passed. It will bring back so many wonderful memories!