Pickled Cucumber & Vegetable Salad

This colorful jar is a refrigerator-style quick pickle salad with cucumber, red onion, bell peppers, herbs and a tangy vinegar dressing. It is best kept refrigerated rather than treated as shelf-stable canned food. Refrigerator pickles are not shelf-stable unless a tested canning process is followed.

Ingredients

Makes about 1 large 1-quart/950 ml jar

Vegetables

3 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced
1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced — optional
2 tbsp fresh parsley or dill, chopped
1–2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Pickling Dressing

¾ cup 5% acidity white vinegar
½ cup water
1½ tsp salt
1–2 tsp sugar or honey, optional
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp dried dill
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Using vinegar with known 5% acidity is important for pickling safety; don’t randomly reduce the vinegar or change the vinegar-to-water ratio if you’re following a tested preservation recipe.

Method

1. Prepare the vegetables
Wash the cucumbers, peppers and onion thoroughly. Slice the cucumbers into thin, even rounds. Cut the peppers and onion into similar-sized pieces.

2. Make the brine
Add vinegar, water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds, dill and red pepper flakes to a saucepan.

Bring just to a simmer, stirring until the salt dissolves.

3. Pack the jar
Place garlic and herbs in a clean jar. Add layers of cucumber, onion and peppers, gently pressing them down without crushing them.

4. Add the brine
Pour the warm pickling liquid over the vegetables until they are well covered. Leave a little space at the top.

5. Cool and refrigerate
Let the jar cool, then cover tightly and refrigerate.

For a refrigerator pickle, the vegetables should remain refrigerated; they should not be stored at room temperature as though they were shelf-stable canned pickles.

6. Let the flavors develop
For the best flavor, refrigerate for at least several hours, preferably overnight.

How to Serve

With grilled chicken or fish
On sandwiches and wraps
With burgers
Alongside rice or roasted vegetables
Mixed into salads
As a crunchy snack straight from the refrigerator

Estimated Nutrition

Approximate per 1 cup, depending on how much brine is consumed:

Calories: 35–55 kcal
Protein: 1–2 g
Carbohydrates: 8–11 g
Fat: 0–1 g
Fiber: 2–3 g
Sugar: 4–7 g
Sodium: ~500–800 mg

If you omit the sugar, the carbohydrate and calorie content will be slightly lower.

Nutrition Benefits

Cucumber: high in water and provides a refreshing source of vegetables.

Bell peppers: provide vitamin C and antioxidants.

Red onion: adds fiber and plant compounds.

Fresh herbs: add flavor without significant calories.

Vinegar: gives the salad its characteristic sharp, tangy flavor.

Nut Information

This recipe contains no intentionally added tree nuts or peanuts.

Peanuts: None
Almonds: None
Cashews: None
Walnuts: None
Pistachios: None
Pecans: None

For a person with a severe nut allergy, check packaged vinegar, spices and other ingredients for cross-contact warnings.

Q&A

Q: How long should I pickle the vegetables?
For the best flavor, let them sit refrigerated overnight. They will become more flavorful as they sit.

Q: Can I eat them immediately?
Yes, but the flavor will be milder. A few hours in the refrigerator gives better results.

Q: Can I use apple cider vinegar?
Yes, provided it has the appropriate acidity for the recipe. White vinegar gives the cleanest color and sharper pickle flavor.

Q: Can I leave out the sugar?
Yes. Sugar mainly balances the acidity and isn’t essential to the basic flavor.

Q: Why did my cucumbers become soft?
Very thin slices, old cucumbers or improper pickling conditions can contribute to softness. Fresh, firm cucumbers give better texture.

Q: Can I add tomatoes?
For a simple refrigerated salad, you can add fresh tomatoes when serving. I wouldn’t add them to a long-storage pickling recipe without using a tested recipe because changing vegetable proportions can affect acidity and safety.

Q: Can I reuse the leftover brine?
Don’t reuse brine that has already been mixed with vegetables for another preservation batch. The vegetables change the acidity of the liquid.

Q: Is this shelf-stable?
No. This version is a refrigerator pickle. Keep it refrigerated. Shelf-stable pickling requires a tested recipe and proper processing.

Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.