When the summer weather takes a turn for the sweltering, it’s time for easy, breezy summer salads. We love a potato salad, a pasta salad and a crunchy coleslaw, but when it’s really hot there’s something about a cucumber salad that hits the spot every time.
We have some go-to cucumber salads that we love (many inspired by the “how to eat an entire cucumber” trend from last summer), but we’re always on the lookout for other ways to use this crispy, crunchy, summer-perfect veggie.
When we were scrolling social media recently, we found just that. This clever recipe, shared by Ivy Odom Aponte, the Senior Editorial Producer at Southern Living, solves three problems at once—it gives you a quick and delicious side dish, makes use of the last bit of mayo most people throw away and even helps clean the jar if you’re planning to reuse it.
Related:The Viral Recipe That Has Us Rushing to the Store to Buy Cucumbers
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A No-Waste Salad That Practically Makes Itself
When your mayo jar is almost empty, with just a few spoonfuls clinging to the sides, don’t throw it out. Instead, turn it into a mixing vessel and flavor booster for a crisp, creamy cucumber salad.
All you need is diced cucumber (English cucumbers work great, but any kind will do), chopped sweet onion (for that Southern-style bite), fresh dill (you want that summery herbaceous kick), a sprinkle of sugar and salt and a splash of white vinegar.
Toss everything directly into the jar with the remaining mayo. Then just put on the lid and give it a vigorous shake. The residual mayo on the inside of the jar will become the creamy base for your dressing. The vinegar balances it, the sugar softens the acidity and the dill and onion round it out with garden-fresh flavor.
Once it’s all mixed together, just pop the jar in the fridge. After an hour or two, the cucumbers soak up the flavor, the onion mellows and the whole thing becomes greater than the sum of its parts. It’s the kind of cold, tangy salad that tastes even better the next day (if it lasts that long!).
And bonus—while the ingredients marinate, they also clean the inside of the jar. By the time you spoon it out, you’ll be left with a mostly clean container ready for the dishwasher or a new use. It’s food, it’s function—and it’s kind of genius.
Related: How to Make Cucumber Salad 10x Better
How to Make This Recipe Your Own
The recipe that Aponte shares is from her mama, but this is an idea that’s super easy to customize.
Add a clove of minced garlic for some punch, or swap vinegar types (apple cider, rice wine) for different flavor profiles. Toss in some halved cherry tomatoes or shredded carrots for color and crunch. Craving a kick? Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a squirt of sriracha or a dash of hot sauce.
This little salad is endlessly adaptable, but the original is hard to beat. The cool cucumber, sweet onion and tangy dressing hit all the right notes on a hot day, so the next time you’re about to toss an almost-empty jar of mayo, take a pause and grab a cucumber. This one’s too good not to try!
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