Description
Cucumber Ranch Crack Salad is a refreshing and crunchy vegetable salad featuring diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions combined with crispy bacon, shredded cheese, and a creamy ranch dressing. This easy-to-make dish is perfect as a side or a light meal, offering a perfect balance of textures and flavors with hints of fresh dill and a cool, tangy dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or your choice)
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried dill)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- ½ cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Begin by washing the cucumbers and cherry tomatoes thoroughly. Dice the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces and halve the cherry tomatoes for easy eating.
- Chop the Onion: Finely chop the red onion to add a zesty crunch that balances the creaminess of the dressing.
- Cook the Bacon: If using raw bacon, cook it in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Once cooked, crumble the bacon into small pieces. If you are using pre-cooked bacon, simply crumble it without additional cooking.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the diced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, and chopped red onion, mixing them evenly.
- Add Bacon and Cheese: Mix in the crispy bacon bits and shredded cheese to the vegetable mixture.
- Dress the Salad: Pour the ranch dressing over the combined ingredients and add the chopped fresh dill. Stir gently until everything is well coated in the dressing.
- Season: Add salt and pepper to taste, adjusting seasoning based on your preference.
- Chill: Cover the salad with plastic wrap or a lid and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and develop fully.
- Toss Before Serving: Before serving, toss the salad once more to redistribute the dressing and ingredients evenly for the best flavor experience.
Notes
- Use fresh, in-season cucumbers and tomatoes for the best flavor and texture.
- For a lighter dressing option, substitute traditional ranch with a Greek yogurt-based ranch.
- Enhance crunchiness by adding chopped bell peppers or shredded carrots.
- Make the salad a few hours ahead to let flavors meld but add bacon last minute to retain crispiness.
- Keep salad chilled until just before serving for optimal freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Cucumber salad, Ranch dressing salad, Bacon salad, Summer salad, Easy side dish, Fresh vegetable salad
