Creamy Cucumber Salad
by This post may contain affiliate links.
This Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe is the perfect salad for spring and summer! It’s filled with wonderful fresh flavors from dill, red onion, and lemon juice. Serve it as a side dish at a BBQ or picnic, or eat it for lunch with your favorite sandwich. It’s easy to make in just 10 minutes!
Why you’ll love this salad
Cucumbers are a delicious, refreshing snack. They’re also tasty when they’re turned into pickles. And we love a good cucumber sandwich at our house. But we’re also obsessed with this creamy cucumber salad! And here’s why I know you’ll love it too.
- It’s quick and easy to make! It only takes 10 minutes to whip up this salad, then you can store it in the fridge and allow the flavors to develop until you’re ready to eat it. We keep this salad in the fridge all the time to grab for a side dish, or take on picnics.
- It’s made with an old-fashioned creamy dressing. The combination of mayonnaise and sour cream used to make the dressing is what makes this salad super creamy and a little tangy!
- It’s full of light, fresh flavors. The addition of fresh dill adds a wonderful herb flavor to the salad. The fresh lemon juice adds a bright citrus punch, and the fresh red onions give the salad a crisp bite.
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this creamy cucumber salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon juice
- Sugar – just a hint of sugar balances out the rich flavor of the dressing and the bright acidity from the lemon juice.
- Salt and black pepper – to season the dressing.
- Fresh dill – if you prefer to use another herb, I recommend fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil.
- Cucumber – I recommend an english cucumber for this recipe. The skin on this variety of cucumber is thin, and therefore doesn’t need to be peeled before you make the salad. It’s also seedless, which is what you want for this recipe.
- Red onion
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare the creamy dressing. In a large bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and fresh dill.
- Slice the cucumbers and onions. I recommend using a mandoline, while wearing cut-resistant gloves, to thinly slice the cucumbers. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the cucumbers, then the red onion. If you’re using an english cucumber (which I recommend) you do not need to peel the cucumber before making the salad. The skin is super thin and edible. But if you prefer the cucumber without the skin, feel free to peel the cucumber before you slice it. Wrap the sliced cucumber in paper towels and gently press out any excess moisture so it doesn’t water down the salad.
- Assemble the salad. Add the sliced cucumbers and red onions to the creamy dressing and toss to combine. I recommend letting the salad sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
Store creamy cucumber salad leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir before serving.
Ways to serve it
- As a side dish at a BBQ: pair it with main dishes like smoked tri tip, smash burgers, marinated grilled pork chops, or marinated grilled sirloin steak.
- Paired with your favorite sandwich: it’s delicious at lunch with a turkey pesto sandwich, reuben sandwich, or hot pastrami sandwich.
- Take it on a picnic: pack it up with other picnic favorites like deviled eggs, chicken salad, or pasta salad, and head to the park or beach for a delicious picnic!
- Serve it as an appetizer: I made this salad the starter at a recent Italian dinner party that also including toasted ravioli, orecchiette with sausage, and stuffed shells. It makes a great appetizer for any meal!
More cucumber recipes
If you love cucumbers as much as I do, be sure to check out these other recipes with cucumbers!
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 pound english cucumber, sliced
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and dill.
- I recommend using a mandoline, while wearing cut-resistant gloves, to thinly slice the cucumbers. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the cucumbers, then the red onion. Wrap the sliced cucumber in paper towels and gently press out any excess moisture so it doesn’t water down the salad.
- Add the sliced cucumbers and sliced red onion to the dressing and toss to combine. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
- If you’re using an english cucumber (which I recommend) you do not need to peel the cucumber before making the salad. The skin is super thin and edible. But if you prefer the cucumber without the skin, feel free to peel the cucumber before you slice it.
- Store any leftover salad in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir before serving.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
