Creamy Cucumber Salad
You’ll love this Classic Creamy Cucumber salad recipe – it’s perfect on a hot summer day! Crisp and refreshing cucumbers, slices of sweet red onion and fresh dill weed, all nestled in a flavorful and tangy sour cream sauce!
Serve this easy summer dish as a side dish to your main meal or as an appetizer or snack. It’s also a great dish for potlucks, family reunions and poolside parties!
Why this recipe works
If you’re needing a “green” for your menu, this quick and easy cucumber salad does the trick! It pairs beautifully with fried catfish, BBQ ribs, hamburgers and hot dogs!
There are many variations of this cucumber recipe – I switch this recipe out with a marinated cucumber, onion and tomato salad sometimes. It just depends on what I have on hand.
- This classic side dish uses all-natural, fresh ingredients
- Simple dressing with no fancy ingredients
- Perfect for summer – minimal main ingredients and easy to make ahead
- Healthy eating – a cup of crisp cucumber has about 57% DV of Vitamin K and 10% Vitamin C! This is a delicious way to get those vitamins into your kids!
- Inexpensive – this creamy cucumber salad goes a long way and is relatively inexpensive
Here’s what you’ll need
Get a fresh, firm cucumber (use whatever kind of cucumber you like), sweet red onion, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar (white vinegar or apple cider vinegar), fresh dill weed (you can use dried dill as well), sugar, garlic powder, a teaspoon salt and a little black pepper.
I recommend using the long English cucumbers (English cucumbers are seedless.) For this recipe, I used one long English cucumber which, after slicing, yielded about 2 1/2 cups of sliced cucumbers. Sometimes I add a few sliced radishes to mine…those are optional.
What type of cucumber
There are a few different types of cucumbers, and any of them will work fine in this cool cucumber recipe. The grocery store typically carries two types: “Regular” and “English.”
“Regular” garden (or slicing) cucumbers, are in the produce bin usually next to the zucchini-just to confuse folks! Or, you can use an English cucumber – these are long and skinny, seedless cucumbers that are usually wrapped in plastic, which makes them easy to identify in the produce department at your grocery store.
Some grocers may carry Armenian, Lebanese, or Persian cucumbers, which resemble English cucumbers, and usually not packaged in plastic.
How to make it
The great thing about this refreshing creamy cucumber salad is that it tastes best when it’s made in advance and has had time to marinate in the refrigerator!
Thinly slice cucumbers – it is not necessary to peel them– and I recommend using a mandoline slicer for thin, consistent cucumber slices. Use a sharp knife to slice the red onion, them combine with cucumbers in a large mixing bowl .
For the creamy dressing, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, a little vinegar, sugar, fresh dill and garlic powder in a small bowl. Combine well and pour the creamy sauce over the sliced vegetables, combine, cover and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least two hours.
When ready to serve, taste and toss in a teaspoon of salt or so, and perhaps a little black pepper.
Recipe Tips
Fresh cucumbers are inherently full of water, so if you want to minimize the liquid that develops during the marinating process, place the thin slices of cucumber in a paper towel or kitchen towel and give ’em a good squeeze. This will ensure your cucumber onion salad isn’t too watery and remove any excess moisture.
For best results, serve with a slotted spoon
Serve this healthy salad slightly chilled or almost to room temperature. (If you’re taking it to an outdoor picnic, place the serving bowl in a bowl of ice – this is a great way to cool cucumbers and keep them crispy and cool
Variations and Substitutions
If you’re taking this crisp cucumber side dish to a potluck, picnic or family reunion and don’t have all the ingredients – don’t sweat it!
As with most recipes, you can alter the ingredients in any particular recipe! Here are a few suggestions:
Substitute the mayonnaise with plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt
Use plain white vinegar instead of apple cider, or a little rice vinegar or white wine vinegar (you could also use a white balsamic vinegar)
Add some small grape or cherry tomatoes -these are a great addition to this delicious summer cucumber salad
A great option to this quick cucumber salad is to add some roasted sunflowers or sesame seeds-these add extra crunch and texture!
Don’t have red onion? Use green onions or white onion!
No fresh dill weed? No problem…sprinkle a little dried dill weed into the cucumber salad
This creamy cucumber salad is refreshing and easy on the waistline! Serve it alongside your favorite grilled or barbecued protein! This also pairs beautifully with fish – I like to serve this with fried catfish!
More salad recipes
- Easy Chicken Salad
- Broccoli Crunch
- Classic Egg Salad
- Traditional Tuna Salad
- Seafood Cobb Salad
- Crunchy Asian Salad
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Mandoline slicer or sharp knife
Ingredients
- 4 cups cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill (or ½ tablespoon of dried dill)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a mandoline slicer or sharp knife, thinly slice cucumbers in ⅛" slices and place on a paper towel to drain
- Thinly slice red onions; place sliced cucumbers and red onion into a large mixing bowl
- In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, garlic powder, dill; pour this creamy dressing over the sliced vegetables; combine well; cover and refrigerate for 2 hours
- When ready to serve, taste for salt and pepper; serve with a slotted spoon
