Creamy Cucumber Salad is a cool, refreshing side dish that can be made in minutes! Fresh veggies and dill tossed in a light dressing make this salad perfect for any summer party, weeknight meal, or backyard BBQ.
Love fresh salads? Then you’ve got to try my Tomato Cucumber Salad, Caprese Pasta Salad, or Spinach Strawberry Salad.
I don’t think I can make it through summer without this salad. Why? For me, the combination of cool, crisp cucumbers, fresh dill, and a light, creamy dressing creates the perfect blend of tastes and textures that are simply irresistible. Just like my Grandmother’s recipe for cucumber onion salad, this down-home dish brings back good memories, which always makes digging into it even more special. And to top it off, this garden-fresh salad goes with just about everything, from grilled steak to hot dogs.
Cucumber Salad Ingredients
- Cucumbers – You can use any cucumber. My favorites are English cucumbers and Kirby, as their skin tends to be tender.
- Red Onion – This adds a slight sweetness and a beautiful color!
- Fresh Dill – Using fresh dill is a must. The bright flavor of this salad is so special that you won’t want to skip this beautiful herb.
- Dressing – Sour cream, olive oil, white vinegar, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and sugar.
Variations And Additions
- If you use plain Greek yogurt, you may want to add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise to mute the bite from the yogurt.
- Feel free to add other fresh herbs like chives, basil, or parsley to this salad too!
- A sweet onion can be used in place of red onion.
How To Make The Best Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Thinly slice the cucumbers and onions and place them in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the sour cream, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Pour over sliced cucumbers and onions. Sprinkle on chopped dill and toss together.
Donya’s Success Tips
- Slice the cucumbers using a mandolin, making sure to use the guard. If you don’t have one, use a sharp knife and cutting board.
- If the onion flavor is too strong, thinly slice them and soak in cold water while preparing the salad to take off a bit of bite.
- Stretch your budget by easily doubling or tripling this recipe to feed a crowd!
How To Keep Cucumbers From Getting Soggy
If you can’t make this salad right before serving, you can salt the cucumbers to draw out excess moisture.
- You can pat the cucumber dry with paper towels before adding to the salad.
- Lay the cucumber slices out on paper towels or in a colander, and salt all over one side. Let them sit for 10-15 minutes allowing the salt to draw out the moisture. Keep in mind that the cucumbers won’t be as crunchy if you use this method.
Commonly Asked Questions
This salad is best served immediately, but you can store leftovers for a couple of days in the fridge. Drain off any excess liquid, toss, and serve.
I use English cucumbers but a summer flavor of mine is Kirby cucumbers. Either will work beautifully.
Nope! I like to leave them unpeeled because it saves me time, and I like the extra pop of green color in the salad. Plus, the skin is full of nutrients.
What To Serve This Salad With
This creamy, delicious, low-carb salad is fabulous served with about any main dish. For family gatherings and potlucks, it’s terrific with fried chicken, sloppy Joe’s, or pulled pork. This salad is one of my favorites for lunch, served with Southern ham salad or deviled egg sandwiches!
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups cucumbers – thin sliced
- 1 red onion – thin sliced
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine or champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill – chopped
Instructions
- Place cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add sour cream, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk together.
- Pour over cucumbers and onions. Sprinkle on chopped dill and toss together. Cover and chill in refrigerate for up to 30 minutes. When ready to serve, toss again, and sprinkle on more dill if desired. Serve immediately!
- When ready to serve, toss again, and sprinkle on more dill if desired. Serve immediately!
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THIS IS OUR “GO TO YEAR ROUND RECIPE!” I ABSOLUTELY HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING @assouthernsoul FOR YEARS- & THE RECIPES NEVER FAIL- On This Recipe- And Any OTHER “ONION RECIPE” MY CHEROKEE INDIAN GRANDMOTHER PASSED DOWN TO ME A TRUE VERY TRIED & TESTED WAY AND NEVER FAILED WAY TO ALWAYS TREAT ANY TYPE OF “ONION” BEFORE PUTTING RAW INTO ANY RECIPE- OF COURSE SKIN, CUT OF THE ENDS- AND MOST IMPORTANTLY COMPLETELY CORE OUT ( THE WORST SMELLING PART- THE CORE- OF THE ONION- U CAN SEE CLEARLY THE BULB PIECES) , THEN SLICE IN BIG SLICES- AND PUT IN BIG BOWL- WITH ICE WATER AND 3 HEAPING TABLESPOONS OF PLAIN WHITE VINEGAR- AND LET SOAK FOR AT LEAST 30-35 MINUTES – THEN DRAIN AND PAT DRY WITH PAPER TOWELS WELL! (DO THIS WILL TAKE ANY AND ALL THE “AFTER TASTE / BITTERNESS OF ONIONS GETTING STRONGER & STRONGER – AND ABSOLUTELY ANY STOMACH ISSUES!” AND WE PERSONALLY PURCHASE VIDALIA’S EACH YEAR – 25LB DELIVERED FIRST IN THE SPRING- AND WRAP THEM EACH INDIVIDUALLY IN PARCHMENT PAPER – & ONE MORE DELIVERY AT THE VERY LAST OF THE SUMMER ( USUALLY ARRIVES SEPT 1- EACH YEAR – 25LB) AND THOSE LAST US THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS AND ALL! SOOO WORTH IT!!
Thanks so much for your review and for the great info you shared! I enjoyed reading your comment! ~Donya
10 / 10
Thanks, Penny!
~Donya
The recipe looks wonderful, I love the addition of the dill. My mom had a recipe for cucumber salad somewhat similar to this. It kept for a few days in the refrigerator. I think the difference was that you sliced the cukes and the onion into a colander and salted and peppered the layers and put a plate on top with a weight to squeeze the moisture out over a thirty minute period. Then the sauce was added and chilled. Anyway, thanks for the recipe, it brought back great memories and I will be making your version as soon as my cucumbers are ripe.
Thank you, Linda! What a great memory you shared. Your mom’s recipe sounds like a classic. I am tickled that you’ll be making my version soon. I hope you’ll let me know how you like it.
Have a wonderful week,
~Donya
Do you know if you salt the cukes after you just sliced them and let them sit and then squeeze out the water which you may want to save…. then mix all your ingredients and cool it will not get nearly as watery and can keep for a couple of days if you make a larger quantity… try them with dill and onion and sour cream…. delicious… sprinkle of fresh ground pepper too! Enjoy!
Thanks Chris, sounds great. So glad you stopped by.
Have a great week,
~Donya