Creamy Cucumber Salad
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This creamy cucumber salad is cool, crisp, and richly satisfying—the perfect match for anything off the grill and a must at summer get-togethers.
Say goodbye to soggy cucumber salads! This creamy cucumber salad recipe is everything you want—crisp, cool, and full of tangy flavor. It’s made with crunchy English cucumbers, sweet red onions, and a creamy dressing with sour cream, mayo, and lots of fresh dill. Perfect with grilled chicken or grilled salmon, and always a hit at summer cookouts, picnics, or potlucks.
So, what’s the secret to keeping it crunchy? Since cucumbers are mostly water, the trick is to salt the sliced cucumbers and onions in a colander for 30 minutes before dressing them. It draws out the excess moisture and gives the onions a lightly pickled flavor. This one’s a summertime staple—you’ll make it on repeat all season long.
“WOW, absolutely delicious! My family has never met a recipe from Jenn that we didn’t like, but this one is right up there in the top 10.”
What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
- English cucumbers – Cool, crisp, and seedless—no peeling needed. They hold up well and give the salad its signature crunch.
- Red onion – Adds sharpness and color. Salting it with the cucumbers tones down the bite and gives it a delicious lightly pickled flavor.
- Salt, sugar & black pepper – The seasoning trio: salt draws out excess moisture and enhances flavor, sugar softens the tang, and pepper adds a subtle kick.
- Sour cream & mayonnaise – The creamy base of the dressing. Sour cream brings tang, mayo adds richness, and together they make the salad luxuriously smooth.
- White wine vinegar – Adds a splash of brightness to balance the creaminess.
- Fresh dill – The herb that makes it. It gives the salad that fresh, summery flavor that keeps you coming back for more.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the cucumbers. Peel the cucumbers and slice them in half lengthwise. Then, using a small spoon, gently scrape out the seeds—this helps keep the salad from getting watery. Slice them into thin half-moons.
Step 2: Salt the cucumbers and onion. Place the cukes in a colander, then add the thinly sliced red onion. Sprinkle everything with salt and toss to coat. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes. The salt will draw out excess moisture from the cucumbers (so the salad stays crisp) and gently mellow the onions, giving them a lightly pickled flavor.
Step 3: Squeeze out the moisture. After 30 minutes, use a large wad of paper towels or a clean dish towel to squeeze as much liquid out of the cucumbers and onions as you can. This step makes all the difference in keeping the salad from turning watery once dressed.
Step 4: Make the dressing. In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, sugar, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed—sometimes I like to add a tiny bit more vinegar or dill, depending on the day.
Step 5: Combine and chill. Add the well-drained cucumbers and onions to the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated. You can serve it right away, but if you have time, let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. It’s even better that way. Enjoy!
More Summer Salads You May Like
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Creamy cucumber salad with crunchy cucumbers, mellow red onions, and a cool, dill-packed dressing—made for summer cookouts.
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers (also called hothouse cucumbers)
- ½ medium red onion, finely sliced (about ⅔ cup)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the cucumbers in half and then slice each half down the middle lengthwise. Use the tip of a teaspoon to scoop out the center seeds. Cut each half into thin slices and place in a colander along with the red onion slices. Toss with the salt and let sit in the sink for at least 30 minutes, until the water drains out.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, sugar, and black pepper and mix well.
- When the cucumbers and onions are ready, release any excess water by tapping the colander several times on the base of the sink, then use a large wad of paper towels or clean dish towel to pat the vegetables dry. Add the vegetables to the dressing and toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The salad can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead of serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 126
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 336 mg
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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WOW, absolutely delicious! My family has never met a recipe from Jenn that we didn’t like but this one is right up there in the top 10. I made it as written and it’s perfect.
Amazing recipe – I’ve made the original (dreamy!) and several variations (below). It is a summer and dinner party favorite in my household.
This is great on salmon, as Jenn has in a separate recipe, as well as on chicken thighs.
A few notes:
– you can sub different cucumbers but I’ve found that hothouse has the best texture, especially when thinly sliced
– I personally prefer it without the sugar
– subbing Greek yogurt for sour cream is… just fine relative to the original sour cream recipe. You may love it if you haven’t tried the original or are solving for health (my family thought it was great when they tried it), but once they tried the original version, they agreed that the sour cream was superior
– subbing different vinegars (apple cider, white, and rice wine) is fine and has a negligible impact on taste
Could I add chickpeas and avocado to this? Or too mushy?
I do think avocado would be too mushy but the chickpeas would work here. Please LMK how it turns out if you add them!
Wonderful cucumber 🥒 summer salad! Instead of sour cream I used probiotic yogurt and instead of normal mayo which has yucky soybean oil, I used my homemade avocado 🥑 oil mayo. I skipped the sugar. Yummy
Glad you added your comment/recipe change as I’m always having to change/add/delete to construct a more healthier version of a lot of recipes.
Served this creamy, dreamy summer salad last night with baked salmon . I added some thinly sliced radishes because they were in the refrigerator , and …why not? They did add an extra layer of flavor and crunchiness. Cucumber salads can become watery- not this one. It is so delicious !! Jenn’ s recipes are just simply The BEST !
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!
I added one extra ingredient; 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. DONT FRET, it is NOT spicy nor hot (children friendly). It adds just a little bit more flavor to cut some of the sweetness and mixes well with the vinegar, dill and red onion.
My guest LOVED this over pan seared salmon. And for those at home who like a little spice, try 1/4 tsp more…smile
Can’t wait to try. Besides the simple grilled, which grilled chicken recipe would this pair best with? Thanks!
Hi Andrew, a few options that come to mind are the Grilled BBQ Chicken, Grilled Chicken Wings, or the Middle Eastern-Style Chicken Kabobs. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn! How important is it to use hothouse cucumbers vs. another kind?
You can use something other than hothouse; you’ll just need to peel them. Hope you enjoy!
This looks delicious!! Could I use apple cider vinegar in place of the white wine vinegar? Thanks, as always, for your amazing recipes!
Glad you like the recipes! Yes, apple cider vinegar would be fine here. Enjoy! 🙂
Made this tonight (with the aforementioned apple cider vinegar), and it’s so yummy! The crunch of the cucumbers, the tang of the sour cream, the creamy richness of the mayo, and the freshness of the dill combine to make this a new summer favorite! Thank you, Jenn!
I’ve tried many cucumber salads, and this is the best by far! Quick, easy and delicious- what more could you ask for? A regular side dish now that summer is here. So refreshing with just the right amount of tang. Thank you!