Creamy cucumber salad is a dish I grew up with; it brings back memories of dinners at my Grandma Mary’s house.

This summertime staple is a fresh addition to any picnic, barbecue, or potluck with crisp cucumbers, fresh dill, and a simple sour cream dressing.

This easy recipe is fast to prepare with ingredients you likely have on hand.

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Ingredients in Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers – Use long English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers for this recipe as have thinner skins and don’t require peeling (although you can peel them if you prefer).

Field cucumbers can have tough skins, so they should be peeled (or peel some strips). The seeds in field cucumbers are larger and can be scraped out with a spoon.

Onions – Sweet white onion or red onion is optional but adds great flavor to this cucumber salad. Thinly slice the onion and soak it in cold water while preparing the salad to take off a little bit of bite from the onion.

Variations – This salad is great with fresh garden herbs like basil and dill. Chop up your favorites and stir them in.

Dressing – Making this cucumber salad dressing is easy. Combine sour cream, mayo, vinegar, seasonings, and a touch of sugar. You can replace sour cream with plain Greek yogurt if you’d like.

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How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad

The best cucumber salad recipe is one that is simple so the cucumbers really shine.

  1. With a sharp knife or mandolin, slice the cucumber ¼-inch thick. Thinly slice the onion if adding per the recipe below.
  2. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl and toss with the cucumbers, onion and dill.
  3. Refrigerate one hour before serving. Garnish with additional chopped dill.

To Make Cucumber Salad Ahead

This recipe can be made 4 or 5 hours in advance for the best flavor; this way, the cucumbers stay crisp!

If you’d like to make it further ahead, slice the cucumbers and onions if using, and store them separately from the dressing in an airtight container. Combine the two an hour before serving.

Storage

Creamy cucumber salad will up to 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Drain any juices before serving, and add a little bit of extra sour cream if needed.

More Cucumber Favorites

Did you make this Creamy Cucumber Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

Enjoy the refreshing combination of crisp cucumbers, fresh dill, and a simple sour cream dressing.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Refrigerate 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 2 English cucumber
  • cup sliced white onion optional

For the Dressing

  • ½ cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh dill chopped
  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • salt to taste

Instructions 

  • Wash the cucumber and cut it into slices ¼-inch thick.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, vinegar, sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
  • Add the cucumbers and onions if using and gently toss well to coat.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
  • Taste and season with additional salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh additional dill if desired.

Video

Notes

If using field cucumbers, peel them and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
Additional fresh herbs like basil, parsley, and dill can be added.
Store leftover salad in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Drain any juices and stir before serving. 
4.96 from 345 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 77 | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Diet Vegetarian
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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. Awesome recipe!! To keep your cucumbers crunchy and to cut down on any liquid, after slicing layer cucumbers in a strainer in the sink. Add a generous amount of salt to each layer of cucumbers. After about an hour rinse cucumbers with cold water and lay on paper towels to dry. I know a lot of extra steps but it’s really worth it.

  2. substitute fresh lemon juice for the vinegar! I also like to cube my cukes for a better bite.
    This recipe is a winner.

  3. Love this recipe. I make it a lot. first 8-16-20, then 8-21-21, also 3-25-22 plus 7-1-22. Making it again tomorrow, 7-28-24, so good, so tasty! Yep, I am an old man 79 but, lover my veggies…

  4. I wanted something to balance some spicy chicken fajitas. These cucumbers were perfect! Cool, creamy and delicious! My new favorite way o eat cukes!5 stars

  5. Delightful!! Light and smooth pleasantly surprising
    (Light tangy and lightly sweetened) Perfect for me.5 stars

  6. Great fresh taste … I changed it up a bit though. Substituted one tablespoon of lemon juice for one of the vinegar tablespoons, added 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, and knocked the amount of dill down (maybe to half?). Also, I used the same amount of dressing for 3 English cucumbers instead of two – plenty of coverage and still some puddling at the bottom to stir around and freshen up.5 stars

    1. I’ll try it with lemon. I removed the dill as I do not like dill at all, and it still tastes great!!5 stars