Ina Garten Uses This Trick Every Time She Makes Her Easy Cucumber Salad

We turn to Ina Garten for just about any ingredient and recipe trick, because, well, she’s Ina and she always knows what she’s doing. Her scrambled eggs always come out perfect and fluffy for good reason. Over the years, Garten has shown us how to level up cornbread, make an herbaceous compound butter, and cook restaurant-worthy asparagus. The celebrity chef is back at it with another useful vegetable trick that will help make your summer salads all the fresher and more delicious—and it's one that our top recipe already uses.

Ina Garten's Simple, Yet Effective Cucumber Trick

Ina makes her Creamy Cucumber Salad by first salting and draining her cucumbers for a creamy dressing that is bright, fresh, and never bland. She salts the cucumbers and red onions in a bowl, then places them in a colander over a bowl to drain in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours. This simple salting and draining trick helps the dressing stick to the cucumbers so it doesn’t end up watery, but is instead creamy and rich in flavor. 

Allrecipes’ Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe

Our very own Creamy Cucumber Salad uses a similar salting and draining method. We salt the cucumbers, then let them sit in a bowl at room temperature before draining in a colander. While Ina lets the cucumbers sit much longer, we have them in the salt for about 15 to 30 minutes total, which seems to get the job done perfectly. 

If you’re new to this method, our reviewers have plenty of great tips on how to salt and drain cucumbers. Allrecipes member Lillie Lawler says, “After 30 minutes in the salt I drained and rinsed with cool water before draining for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.”

Another reviewer, MHudson, stresses that it's important to drain the cucumbers properly: “You MUST drain the cukes thoroughly or you'll end up with a runny mess. I like the idea of using a salad spinner (an item I don't have) but I have to rely on time and patience when I make this (or squeezing by hand if I'm in a hurry and they're still too wet after 30 minutes).”

There you have it—this technique is not only approved by the Barefoot Contessa herself, but the AllRecipes community, too.