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Polish Cucumber Salad – Mizeria

April 24, 2018 by Edyta 15 Comments

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Edyta
Author at Eating European
Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes
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Latest posts by Edyta (see all)
  • Borscht (Barszcz Czerwony) – Authentic Polish Recipe - December 19, 2022
  • Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese (Pierogi Ruskie) - December 8, 2022
  • Mushroom Pierogi “Uszka” for Borscht - December 3, 2022

With summer around the corner, so comes the need for nice, refreshing dishes. This Polish Cucumber Salad (Mizeria) should find its way to your summer dishes repertoire, it’s been in mine ever since I was born. 

Polish cucumber salad in a bowl with spoon in it; overhead close up shot

Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad) – Refreshing Summer Side Dish

Well actually I might have gotten carried away a little bit there; I wasn’t actually eating cucumbers right after I was born, but I certainly was no later than the age of one. I’m now in my 40s, so you can see how long I’ve been eating this cucumber salad. This is one of the most popular Polish Recipes.

There is one caveat here, in Poland people tend to eat whatever’s in-season. That means that you wouldn’t have the pleasure of eating this cucumber salad during the winter months.

Cucumbers are summer produce and they need to be eaten during hot months…which make perfect sense, as their flavor and consistency are super refreshing. Here in the US, cucumbers are available all year round; but they really taste best during the summer.

But I digress… The point I wanted to make here is that this salad is family’s traditional recipe, and as with a lot of ethnic recipes, variations abound (which I’ll talk about below).

Polish cucumber salad - mizeria in a bowl with spoon in it and towel around it

Why is the Polish Cucumber Salad called ‘Mizeria’

Mizeria means “misery,” so one would naturally wonder why Poles call their cucumber salad a “misery.”

There are actually two theories about it: (1) that poor peasants that lived in misery, voraciously consumed this salad; or (2) that an Italian queen, who married one of the Polish kings, was so homesick that every time she ate this salad she cried. [Side note, it was believed that she brought fresh vegetables to Poland].

I’m not sure which, if any, of these theories, are true. So, I guess that one will remain a mystery.

How do you make Polish Cucumber Salad?

Here I’m going to present you with the version of Mizeria that my family loves. It only requires a few simple ingredients:

  • Cucumbers;
  • Fresh dill;
  • Spring, green onions;
  • Sour cream;
  • Salt & Pepper.

Even though the ingredients are simple, there are few important STEPS to follow to make it right:

  • Your cucumber needs to be peeled and then very thinly sliced. You can either use a knife, a mandolin or the side of a shredder, with the slicing option;
  • Then you’ll need to salt your cucumbers, mix well, and set aside for at least 15 minutes (but ideally for 30 mins);
  • The cucumbers will release a lot of water, that you need to discard. After natural dehydration, then squeeze the cucumbers even more;
  • Next, you’ll add dill, green onions, and sour cream;
  • Mix it all together and season to taste. Be careful with the salt, as your cucumbers were salted previously. Also, you may only need to add a little pepper.

Preparation of Polish cucumber salad - 3 shots, slicing cucumber, cucumber in a bowl, cucumber with water

Preparation of Polish Cucumber Salad, 3 photos: cut up herbs, herbs and cucumbers in a bowl; added sour cream to the bowl

What are the different variations of Mizeria?

Like with pierogi, bigos, dill pickle soup, and golabki, there are several variations of this cucumber salad. You’d find almost every household having subtle different preferences. Here’s a list of common add-ons that you’d find in different Polish cucumber recipes:

  • White vinegar;
  • Sugar;
  • Lemon juice; and
  • Onions types (or perhaps exclusion of them altogether).

If sugar, vinegar and/or lemons are something that you may like, then by all means..add them to your salad. Or perhaps you want to omit green onions or add yellow onions or even shallots. Check recipe notes for details.

Which cucumbers are best for this Polish Cucumber Salad?

When I was growing up the most ubiquitous type of cucumbers were the Kirby ones, which are normally used for pickling. The process would traditionally involve both peeling and deseeding the cucumbers.

Nowadays, the English seedless cucumber is the one I use the most. It’s widely available in the US, and it doesn’t need to be deseeded.

Polish cucumber salad in a white bowl with spoon in and towel around; water in a back

How can I lighten up this Cucumber Salad?

As advised, this traditional Polish cucumber salad calls for sour cream. However, if you’d like to go a little lighter then swap it out for some Greek, or natural, yogurt with your choice of fat content.

What shall I pair this Mizeria with?

For me, cucumber salad is forever married to mashed potatoes. As a matter of fact, sometimes that’s all kids would eat for dinner – just mashed potatoes with mizeria. Or on other nights, sometimes with just the addition of a fried egg. I know that may sound weird, but trust me it’s super delicious.

It will also go great with some grilled dishes like:

  • Grilled Chicken Shawarma
  • Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs
  • Honey Harrisa Chicken Skewers
  • Pork Souflaki 

Or skillet or oven dishes, like:

  • Brown Sugar Pork Chops
  • Brown Sugar Pork Loin
  • Oven Roasted Chicken Legs
  • Pan Seared Ribeye
  • Tuscan Style Chicken with Potatoes
  • Chicken Chasseur
  • Chicken Paprikash
  • Hungarian Goulash

Maybe you have some memories of your grandma making this dish, or maybe you ate it on your travels, or maybe a Polish friend served it for you, or perhaps you’ve never had it and are curious.

Whatever your motivation, please share your feedback with me and let me know how much you liked this Polish delight.

Oh, and if anyone knows the real reason why my ancestral Poles actually dubbed this a “misery” salad, then please let me know. Because as far as I can tell, the name definitely does NOT befit the dish!

Polish cucumber salad in a white bowl with spoon; overhead shot, horizontal

More Polish Recipes to Try

  • Dill Pickle Soup (Zupa Ogorkowa)
  • Polish Stuffed Cabbage – Golabki
  • Breton Beans (Fasolka po Bretonsku)
  • Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese
  • Pierogi with Sauerkraut and Mushrooms
  • Cabbage and Kielbasa
  • Kapusta – Sauerkraut with Mushrooms
  • Bigos – Polish Hunter Stew
  • Potato Cutlets with Asparagus
Polish cucumber salad in a white bowl with spoon; overhead shot, horizontal

Polish Cucumber Salad (Mizeria)

With summer around the corner, so comes the need for nice, refreshing dishes. This Polish Cucumber Salad (Mizeria) ought to find its way to your summer dishes repertoire. Simple ingredients like cucumber, dill, green onions, and sour cream are all you need.
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Polish
Prep Time: 10 minutes
15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 87kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

  • 1 English Cucumber seedless, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup Fresh Dill chopped
  • 1/2 cup Green Spring Onions green and white parts
  • 2/3 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • Fresh Black Pepper

Instructions

  • Using either knife, mandolin or shredder with slicing option, slice the cucumber very thinly and place in a bowl; 
  • Add salt to the cucumbers, mix well and set aside for at least 15 minutes (ideally for 30 minutes);
  • After at least 15 minutes, strain the cucumbers through a colander and squeeze out any leftover water;
  • Add cucumbers back into a bowl, add chopped dill and spring onions; Mix in the sour cream and combine together;
  • Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
  • You can chill it before serving. 

Notes

*Optional additions for this salad:
  • 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, or
  • squeeze of lemon juice;
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
**This recipe calls for 2/3 cup of sour cream, but you can add less or more depending on your consistency preferences. 
***For an even lighter version of this salad use Geek or natural yogurt instead of sour cream.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 207mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 770IU | Vitamin C: 7.4mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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Filed Under: Ethnic Recipes, European Recipes, Polish recipes, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « Pork Chops in White Wine Cream Sauce w/ Mushrooms & Bacon
Next Post: Potato Cutlets with Asparagus and Eggs »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Felesha

    April 25, 2018 at 8:18 am

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for sharing your tradition. This cucumber salad is totally calling my name!!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      April 25, 2018 at 9:34 am

      Thanks Felesha!

      Reply
  2. Corina Blum

    April 25, 2018 at 8:25 am

    5 stars
    This sounds delicious and simple! I think cucumber salad goes so well with lots of dishes and I’d love it as one of the side dishes at my next barbecue.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      April 25, 2018 at 9:35 am

      Absolutely, it really is great for BBQ!

      Reply
  3. Rebecca

    April 25, 2018 at 9:22 am

    5 stars
    this salad looks sooo good! PS I’m obsessed with the lighting in your process shots

    Reply
    • Edyta

      April 25, 2018 at 9:35 am

      Thanks Rebecca. That’s my window light at the kitchen counter 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jill

    April 25, 2018 at 10:40 am

    5 stars
    I could totally get on board with eating this cucumber salad with mashed potatoes. I’m going to try that – might get my son to eat some veggies with his mashed potatoes!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      April 25, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      Awesome Jill. It is really good with mashed potatoes 🙂

      Reply
  5. Emily

    April 25, 2018 at 10:48 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely love the freshness of cucumber during the summer, this salad sounds so delicous. A perfect side to BBQs!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      April 25, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Yes Emily! It is so good during the summer especially for BBQs.

      Reply
  6. Beth

    April 27, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    5 stars
    Cucumbers will soon be in abundance in NY! I can’t wait to try your Misery salad with them!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      April 27, 2018 at 2:17 pm

      That is true! I cannot wait.

      Reply
  7. Heather

    September 6, 2019 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    Making this tonight with city chicken and potato pancakes. A comforting Polis dinner for my husband.

    Reply
  8. Mike

    November 7, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing so many fabulous recipes. This Mizeria recipe reminds me of my mother-in-law’s, and ex-wife’s, Mizeria. They both used vinegar and lemon juice in their recipe, as you mentioned in your ‘Variations’ comment. Additionally, they both finished off their salad, or fine tuned it, with Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing/Dip powdered mix – a little bit at a time for an added dimension of flavor.
    When I use the Mizeria dressing for salads, I use Red Wine Vinegar in place of regular Vinegar.
    Thanks, Again!
    Cheers!
    Dziękuję!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 8, 2019 at 9:30 pm

      Fantastic. Thank you for such a nice comment. I’m glad that my recipe reminds you of something that your family used to make for you. Prosze bardzo 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
I’m also a reformed New York State attorney, who practiced for several years only to thereafter decide that this was my real passion. Maybe one day I decided to step back to the courtroom, but in the meantime I’m enjoying spending my time with my kids, my husband, my kitchen and YOU! Read More…

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