Creamy Cucumber Salad: lightly brined cucumbers in a tangy sour cream-dill dressing with red onion-cool, easy, and perfect for warm days.
Slices of red onion add a savory and sweet note to this cucumber salad, which pairs well with grilled and spicy foods.
This easy cucumber salad recipe has Mediterranean roots, with the creaminess of the dressing and the fresh dill, but it pairs well with a variety of dishes.
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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Why This is The Best Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
Cucumbers are refreshing and delicious; however, they contain a great deal of water, which is what makes them so refreshing.
When used in a salad dressed with a creamy dressing, cucumbers release their juices, making the salad watery. So, for this recipe, it is key to treat the cucumbers to make them less watery.
This is done in two ways: first, by seeding the cucumber where the majority of the water is stored. Second, the sliced cucumber is marinated in a pickling solution of salt and vinegar. A salty solution will draw more liquid from the cucumbers, making them ideal for creamy salads.
In addition to drawing fluid from the cucumber, the pickling solution also adds tangy flavor to. The cucumbers are not pickled per se, but they are seasoned from the solution.
It may seem like a lot of effort, but this really 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 also low in calories and carbs!
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes:
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.
- 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 This Creamy Cucumber Salad
Slice and Seed Cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds using a teaspoon. Cut the cucumbers about ¼" thick.
Marinate Cucumbers. 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.
Make the Dressing. 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.
Drain Cucumbers. 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.
Combine Cucumbers and Dressing. Place the cucumbers in a large bowl with the (optional) sliced red onion. Add the sour cream dressing and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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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 their seeds and brining them 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.
♡ Did you love this Creamy Cucumber Salad? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Cucumber Salad
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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
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
Instructions
- Slice and Seed Cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds using a teaspoon. Cut the cucumbers about ¼" thick.
- Marinate Cucumbers. 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
- Make the Dressing. 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
- Drain Cucumbers. 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.
- Combine Cucumbers and Dressing. Place the cucumbers in a large bowl with the (optional) sliced red onion. Add the sour cream dressing and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.1 Small Red Onion
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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Monika says
Hi! Try "mizeria". It's a creamy Polish cucumber salad. It is DELICIOUS. Yours looks good too..
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 😊