This Creamy Cucumber Salad is a refreshing side dish with tangy sour cream sauce! The thinly sliced and crisp cucumbers are tossed with red onion, fresh dill, and dressing. Serve it immediately or leave it to chill in the fridge for up to an hour for maximum flavor infusion!
Table of Contents
Apart from being a popular addition to Asian-inspired mains and side dishes, this mild and cooling cucumber salad will also cut through the richness of hearty grilled meats or creamy butter chicken. Its refreshing flavor makes it an ideal companion to spicy dishes, offering a crisp, tangy contrast that soothes the palate.
While this creamy cucumber salad is a different take from lighter options like my Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad or Shirazi Salad, it’s just as satisfying and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any cucumber fan out there!
Thankfully, cucumbers are available year-round, which means you can whip up this salad whenever the craving strikes – no need to wait for summer! Even better, it’s naturally gluten-free and incredibly versatile, making it easy to customize with your favorite herbs, add-ins, or a lighter salad dressing.
Ingredient notes
- English cucumbers – I prefer to use English cucumbers for this salad since they have fewer seeds, are thin-skinned, and hold less water than slicing cucumbers, but any variety will work. Check out the most popular types of cucumbers that you can find in stores. Persian cucumbers are another good option and won’t require peeling.
- Kosher salt – The technique of sweating vegetables and fruits with salt is a great way to reduce excess moisture to prevent your salads from being soggy.
- Sour cream – This adds creaminess and a subtle tangy flavor to the salad dressing. It’s also a mild base that will mellow out bolder flavors and pairs well with many kinds of herbs, spices, and acidic ingredients. Feel free to use plain Greek yogurt instead.
- Vinegar – I’ve used white vinegar in this salad, but red wine vinegar will work well too.
- Sugar – Adds a lovely touch of sweetness to balance out some of the tangy and sharp flavors in this salad. Honey can be used too.
- Garlic – Fresh cloves are best for depth of flavor.
- Lemon juice and zest – You can get 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest from one lemon.
- Kosher salt and pepper – Adjust the amount used in this creamy cucumber salad, as needed.
- Red onion – For a less potent flavor, soak the red onion in ice water for a few minutes before adding it to the rest of the salad ingredients. You could also use sweet onions, such as Vidalia onion or Walla Walla onion which have less of a bite compared to red or yellow onion.
- Fresh dill – Adds extra freshness to this cucumber salad. Set more aside as garnish. You could also use mint or parsley in this dish.
How to make it
Step 1
Sweat the Cucumbers
- Toss the cucumbers with one tablespoon of kosher salt. Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander set over the sink or a bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Rinse the cucumbers with cold water, then squeeze out any excess water. To make this easy, I add the cucumbers to a clean dish towel and squeeze.
Step 2
Make the Creamy Dressing
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and lemon juice and zest.
- Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Step 3
Assemble and Serve
- Add the drained cucumbers, dill and red onions, to the sauce mixture and toss gently to coat.
- Taste the salad and season again with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve your creamy cucumber salad immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Different cucumber prep ideas
The subtle flavor of cucumber makes it an ideal ingredient to a variety of recipes. Here are a couple of ways you can prepare your cucumbers to change things up and create entirely different dishes:
- Smashed: Lightly crushing the cucumbers creates rough edges for the dressing to cling to, making every bite extra tasty. Plus, it’s super fun!
- Blended: Blend your leftover cucumbers to make this elegant cucumber soup, served cold as an appetizer, side dish, or palate cleanser.
- Pickled: Learn how to pickle cucumbers in vinegar in just 1 hour with no canning – and they stay crisp for months!
Tips and tricks
- Make this cucumber salad ahead of time and store it in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1-2 days at most. The flavors will meld together and intensify!
- Neutralize the strong flavor of red onion and draw out its natural sweetness by soaking the sliced onion in water. Gently pat the onion dry with a paper towel before adding it to the salad to eliminate excess water.
- Tossing the sliced cucumber in salt draws out excess moisture – exactly what you want for any this cucumber salad.
Variations
Make this creamy cucumber salad with whatever you’ve got on hand! It’s super versatile and easy to tweak depending on your preference or what’s in the fridge! Here are some tasty variations to try:
- Add cheese – This refreshing salad tastes great with the addition of creamy cubed feta, mozzarella balls, or shredded Parmesan. Toss them into the salad just before serving.
- Swap herbs – Swap the fresh dill for parsley or mint, or a mixture of both.
- Include greens for substance – Spinach, arugula, or romaine lettuce can be added to this creamy cucumber salad to give it more bulk.
- Kick of heat – Add a slight kick of heat to this cucumber salad by adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the creamy sauce or including diced jalapeno.
- Switch up the dressing -Change the flavor of this salad by pairing it with a different dressing. Go ahead and try my Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing, Creamy Feta Dressing, Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing, Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing, or Lemon Pesto Dressing. They’re all so good!
- Vegan-friendly – Use a plant-based yogurt instead of the sour cream of Greek yogurt when making the dressing.
Serving suggestions
This cool and creamy cucumber salad is the perfect side for just about any meal! Toss in some leftover chopped chicken breast for a standalone lunch or dinner, or pair it with the following:
Storing
Store leftover cucumber salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, keeping in mind that the sliced cucumber and red onion will soften over time.
I like to give my leftover cucumber salad a little squeeze of lemon juice before serving again as a way to brighten it up.
Erin’s wine pairings
This cool and tangy cucumber salad deserves a wine that complements the crisp cucumbers and creamy dressing without overwhelming the delicate flavors. You can’t go wrong with light, refreshing wines that have good acidity to balance the richness in the dressing and enhance the salad’s freshness. Here are a few wines that stand out for me:
- A quality Rosé with fruity notes and bright acidity pairs well with the tangy and creamy salad dressing.
- An off-dry Riesling will provide a delicious contrast to the tangy vinegar and sour cream as well as bring out the subtle sweetness in the cucumbers and red onion.
- A citrusy Sauvignon Blanc or a light Pinot Gris will enhance the fresh flavors of this cucumber salad while cutting through the richness of the creamy dressing.
More mouth-watering salads
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Full Recipe
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large English cucumbers (about 1 ½ pounds, thinly sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup sour cream (or greek yogurt)
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, or honey)
- 1 clove garlic (grated or minced)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest (plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon))
- Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
- ¼ red onion (thinly sliced into half moons)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill (mint or parsley, plus more to garnish)
Instructions
- Toss cucumbers with 1 TBSP kosher salt, then add to a colander set over the sink or a bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes, while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Rinse the cucumbers with cold water, then squeeze out excess water. To make this easy, I add the cucumbers to a clean dish towel and squeeze.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and lemon juice and zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the drained cucumbers, dill and red onions, to the sauce mixture and toss gently to coat.
- Taste and season again with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Store leftover cucumber salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, keeping in mind that the sliced cucumber and red onion will soften over time.
- I like to give my leftover cucumber salad a little squeeze of lemon juice before serving again as a way to brighten it up.
- Make this cucumber salad ahead of time and store it in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1-2 days at most. The flavors will meld together and intensify!
- Neutralize the strong flavor of red onion and draw out its natural sweetness by soaking the sliced onion in water. Gently pat the onion dry with a paper towel before adding it to the salad to eliminate excess water.
- Tossing the sliced cucumber in salt draws out excess moisture – exactly what you want for any this cucumber salad.
- Add cheese – This refreshing salad tastes great with the addition of creamy cubed feta, mozzarella balls, or shredded Parmesan. Toss them into the salad just before serving.
- Swap herbs – Swap the fresh dill for parsley or mint, or a mixture of both.
- Include greens for substance – Spinach, arugula, or romaine lettuce can be added to this creamy cucumber salad to give it more bulk.
- Kick of heat – Add a slight kick of heat to this cucumber salad by adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the creamy sauce or including diced jalapeno.
- Switch up the dressing – Change the flavor of this salad by pairing it with a different dressing. Go ahead and try my Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing, Creamy Feta Dressing, Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing, Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing, or Lemon Pesto Dressing. They’re all so good!
- Vegan-friendly – Use a plant-based yogurt instead of the sour cream of Greek yogurt when making the dressing.
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