Description

Cucumber Ranch Crack Salad is a refreshing, crunchy, and flavorful salad featuring diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, crispy bacon, shredded cheese, and a creamy ranch dressing mixed with fresh dill. This easy-to-make no-cook salad is perfect as a side dish or light meal, served chilled to enhance the flavors and textures.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables

2 large cucumbers, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried dill)

Protein and Dairy

1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or your choice)

Dressing and Seasoning

½ cup ranch dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

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 to ensure even flavor distribution in the salad.
Chop the Onion: Finely chop the red onion to add a zesty crunch and sharpness, balancing the creamy dressing and savory bacon.
Cook the Bacon: If using raw bacon, cook it in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, then crumble it into small pieces. If using pre-cooked bacon, simply crumble it as is.
Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, place the diced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, and finely chopped red onion, forming the fresh vegetable base of the salad.
Add Bacon and Cheese: Mix in the crispy, crumbled bacon along with the shredded cheese of your choice, enhancing the salad’s richness and texture.
Dress the Salad: Pour the ranch dressing over the vegetable and bacon mixture. Add the chopped fresh dill, then stir well until all ingredients are evenly coated with the creamy dressing.
Season: Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, adjusting the seasoning to complement the strong flavors of the bacon and dressing.
Chill: Cover the salad with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the salad to become refreshingly cool.
Toss Before Serving: Just before serving, give the salad a good toss to redistribute the dressing and ingredients, ensuring every bite is flavorful.

Notes

Use fresh, in-season cucumbers and cherry tomatoes to maximize flavor and texture.
For a lighter version, substitute traditional ranch with Greek yogurt-based ranch dressing.
Add extra crunch by including chopped bell peppers or shredded carrots if desired.
Prepare the salad a few hours ahead of time to allow flavors to meld; add bacon just before serving to keep it crisp.
The salad is best served chilled, straight from the refrigerator.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes (if cooking bacon)
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Cucumber Salad, Ranch Salad, Bacon Salad, Summer Salad, Easy Salad, No-Cook Salad, Fresh Salad, Picnic Salad