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Creamy Cucumber Salad

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Creamy Cucumber Salad contains cucumbers that are lightly brined, drained, and mixed with a tangy sour cream dressing with fresh dill weed.

Slices of red onion add a savory and sweet note to this cucumber salad that goes well with grilled and spicy foods.

Best of all, this easy cucumber salad recipe has Mediterranean roots with the creaminess of the dressing and the fresh dill weed, but it can go with so many dishes.

Sliced cucumber and red onion in a creamy dressing in a white bowl on a wooden board.
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It starts with seeding and slicing cucumbers that are salted and soaked in a vinegar and water solution. Then the cukes are well drained and tossed with slices of crisp red onion in a sour cream dressing that takes only a couple of minutes to make.

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So, this is a very easy and quick recipe to make, in addition to being delicious. Although it can be made any time of the year, this cool and creamy cucumber salad is perfect for warm days.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that this salad is low-calorie and low-carb.

So, let's cook!

Ingredient Notes:

Creamy Cucumber Salad ingredients, clockwise from top: sliced cucumber, white vinegar, water, fresh dill, mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, and salt.

Here's what you need to make this Creamy Cucumber Salad:

  • Cucumbers - You can use any type of cucumber for this salad, but English cucumbers are less watery and work best. Use large cucumbers that are approximately 10 inches long and you will only need 2.
  • Salt - Just plain iodized table salt is fine.
  • White Vinegar - You can use any white vinegar including rice wine vinegar. A white vinegar keeps the cucumbers bright white and green.
  • Water - Just tap water is okay.
  • Sour Cream - This gives a tangy flavor to the dressing. Regular-fat sour cream is best.
  • Mayonnaise - Just a small amount of mayo helps stabilize the sour cream to keep it from becoming watery.
  • Fresh Dill - Fresh dill is delicious and preferred.
  • White Granulated Sugar - A small amount of sweetness in the dressing helps balance the lightly brined and pickled cucumber.
Creamy Cucumber Salad Optional ingredient: a whole red onion with sliced red onion in a white bowl.
  • Red Onion—Optional—I like the addition of red onion, which provides savory notes with a touch of sweetness. If you don't like onion, you can omit it from this salad.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad

Process Photo 1a - A spoon is used to seed a cucumber that has been cut in half lengthwise.
Process Photo 1b - Slicing the seeded cucumber.

Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds using a teaspoon. Slice the cucumbers about ¼" thick.

Process Photo 2a - Salt is added to the sliced cucumber in a large bowl.
Process Photo - Vinegar and water is added to the salted cucumber slices.

Layer the cucumbers in a large bowl and sprinkle each layer with salt. Add the vinegar and water and stir. Let the cucumbers stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Process Photo 3a - The sour cream dressing ingredients of sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped fresh dill, and salt are in a large bowl.
Process Photo 3b - The sour cream dressing ingredients are whisked together.

While the cucumbers marinate in the vinegar and salt solution, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, and sugar in a large bowl and set aside for later.

Process Photo 4a - The brined slices of cucumber are drained an blotted in a large white colander.
Process Photo 4b - The brined cucumber slices are spread on paper towels and blotted.

Using a large colander drain the cucumbers well and use paper towels to blot excess moisture from the cucumbers. Alternatively, you can drain the cucumbers and spread them on paper towels to blot them.

Process Photo 5a - The brined cucumber and sliced red onion are added to the sour cream dressing in a large bowl.
Process Photo 5b - The salad is well mixed.

Place the cucumbers in a large bowl with the sliced red onion. Add the sour cream dressing and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sliced cucumber and red onion in a creamy dressing in a white bowl with a black serving spoon.

What to Serve with Creamy Cucumber Salad

  • Grilled Meat, Chicken, or Sausages.
  • Spicy Foods - Sour Cream Helps Tame Spicy Heat.
  • Salty Foods like Ham
  • Grilled or Baked Salmon
  • Burgers or Hot Dogs

My Top Tips

♡ Cucumber salad can become watery and removing the seeds helps keep the salad fresh longer.

♡ For the best flavor, refrigerate the salad for 1 hour before serving.

Substitutions & Variations

  • Substitute Dried Dill - You can substitute ½ teaspoon of dried dill for the fresh dill.
  • Substitute Yellow Onion - Some people prefer the flavor of a thinly sliced Vidalia or Maui onion instead of red onion.
  • Omit the Red Onion - The onion is totally optional and you can omit it.
  • Use Only Sour Cream - You can use ¾ cup of sour cream and omit the mayo.
  • Substitute Greek Yogurt - You can substitute unflavored and unsweetened Greek yogurt for both the sour cream and the mayo.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Creamy Cucumber Salad can be made in advance, and making it one hour in advance and chilling it helps the flavors combine.

Store the salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 5 days, although the salad will become softer. Add fresh sliced cucumber and or onion to renew the crunch and give it a lift.

Sliced cucumber and red onion in a creamy dressing in a white bowl.

More Delicious Salads

♡ Did you love this Creamy Cucumber Salad? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!

📖 Recipe

Sliced cucumber and red onion in a creamy dressing in a white bowl with a black serving spoon.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

5 from 1 vote
By: Jan Nunes
Creamy Cucumber Salad contains cucumbers that are lightly brined, drained, and mixed with a tangy sour cream dressing with fresh dill weed.
Print Share Pin
Prep Time ~ 15 minutes
Cook Time ~ 30 minutes
Total Time ~ 45 minutes
Servings ~ 8 Servings
Calories ~ 94kcal

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Ingredients
 

  • 4 Cups English Cucumbers, Thinly Sliced (About 2 Large)
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • ½ Cup White Vinegar
  • ½ Cup Water
  • ½ Cup Sour Cream
  • ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Dill
  • 1 Teaspoon White Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

Instructions
 

  • Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds using a teaspoon. Slice the cucumbers about ¼" thick.
  • Layer the cucumbers in a large bowl and sprinkle each layer with salt. Add the vinegar and water and stir. Let the cucumbers stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    4 Cups English Cucumbers, 1 Teaspoon Salt, ½ Cup White Vinegar, ½ Cup Water
  • While the cucumbers marinate in the vinegar and salt solution, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, and sugar in a large bowl and set aside for later.
    ½ Cup Sour Cream, ¼ Cup Mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Dill, 1 Teaspoon White Granulated Sugar
  • Using a large colander drain the cucumbers well and use paper towels to blot excess moisture from the cucumbers. Alternatively, you can drain the cucumbers and spread them on paper towels to blot them.
  • Place the cucumbers in a large bowl with the sliced red onion. Add the sour cream dressing and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
    1 Small Red Onion

Notes

For the best flavor, refrigerate the salad for 1 hour before serving.
Creamy Cucumber Salad can be made in advance, and making it one hour in advance and chilling it helps the flavors combine.
Store the salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 5 days, although it will become softer. Add fresh sliced cucumber or onion to renew the crunch and give it a lift.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 342mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

© 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

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About Jan Nunes

Jan is the creator and owner of Encharted Cook. Her cooking and baking journey began more than 50 years ago and she specializes in showing how recipes and ingredients can work together and why. At Encharted Cook you can rely on proven recipes and take your cooking and baking up to the next level.

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    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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  1. Monika says

    Hi! Try "mizeria". It's a creamy Polish cucumber salad. It is DELICIOUS. Yours looks good too..

    Reply

    • Jan Nunes says

      Hi Monika, Thank you for letting me know! I know many cultures have a version of "cucumbers in sour cream" but did not know of Mizeria. I will be sure to check it out.
      Have a wonderful day! ~Jan 😊

      Reply