Danish Cucumber Salad with Vinegar and Dill (Agurkesalat)

About This Recipe

Agurkesalat is Denmark's classic cucumber salad, thin slices marinated in a sweet-and-sour vinegar dressing rather than the creamy sour cream dressings more common in neighboring Poland and Sweden, giving it a lighter, brighter character that's traditionally served alongside frikadeller, roast pork or other rich Danish mains. The dressing balances vinegar, sugar and water in careful proportion, along with a generous amount of fresh dill, Denmark's most defining herb. The technique that matters is slicing the cucumbers very thin, traditionally with a mandoline, since the thinness allows them to properly absorb the marinade within a relatively short time rather than staying crunchy and under-seasoned. A brief salting and draining step before marinating helps draw out excess moisture, keeping the cucumbers from diluting the sweet-sour dressing once combined. Served cold as an essential accompaniment to richer meat dishes, agurkesalat reflects the broader Danish and Nordic preference for a bright, acidic counterpoint at the table, cutting through fattier, heavier main courses with its sharp, refreshing crunch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3cucumbers(very thinly sliced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.33 cupwhite vinegar
• 0.33 cupwater
• 3 tbspsugar
• 0.25 tspwhite pepper
• 3 tbspfresh dill(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the cucumbers

   Toss thinly sliced cucumbers with salt and let sit in a colander for 15 minutes to draw out excess water.

2. 2

   Drain

   Press gently to remove as much released liquid as possible.

   Slicing the cucumbers very thin, ideally with a mandoline, is essential for them to properly absorb the marinade in the given time.

3. 3

   Make the marinade

   Whisk vinegar, water, sugar and white pepper together until the sugar dissolves.

4. 4

   Marinate

   Combine the drained cucumbers with the marinade and fresh dill. Let sit at least 20 minutes, or up to a few hours, before serving.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve chilled as a side to rich meat dishes.

Variations

• •

  Add thinly sliced red onion to the marinade for extra bite.

• •

  Adjust the vinegar-to-sugar ratio to taste — some households prefer it sweeter, others more sharply sour.

• •

  Add a pinch of mustard seeds to the marinade for extra texture and flavor.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; the cucumbers continue to soften and pickle further in the marinade the longer they sit, which many prefer.

Frequently Asked Questions