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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turned out great, just waayyyyy too salty to eat, even after rinsing four times
Hi Jenn, simple yet satisfying. Another delicious recipe.
I have your cookbook too but I always find more inspiration on this website. Thank you for the delicious ideas.
A perfect recipe! Easy to make, delicious side with most anything, and tastes great on day 2. Another perfect weekday recipe.
I made this to go with salmon to take to a sick friend, along with your zucchini and cherry tomato recipe. We both loved it. I’ll certainly make them all again. Thanks for all your great recipes, Jenn.
I haven’t made your version (yet) but I do a similar one with lowfat Greek yogurt, season it first with McCormick’s Montreal steak, then add drained cucumbers. Winner! Less calories, too.
How much of each ingredient
It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
This is a delicious recipe! It reminds me of the cucumber salad I grew up with from the Jewish deli at Crown supermarket in West Hartford, Connecticut.
I grew up in Randallstown and The Suburban Restaurant in Pikesville (next to the Golf Club) was a destination for anyone from Baltimore who appreciated a Jewish Deli. Their Cucumber Salad tasted like this wonderful recipe.
This salad is amazing. Lots of compliments from my family. Served it with your Restaurant style pan-seared salmon recipe. So delicious together!!!
Made this last night with burgers and it was so good, will definitely add it to our list of favorites. I used four Kirby cukes because that was what I had. Very happy that I have leftovers for my lunch.
Totally wonderful !!!!
Why remove the seeds from the centre of the cucumber?
Hi Alison, They water the salad/dressing down.
Hi Alison, I’ve made this for years by slicing CUCS & onions, salt them & allow to sit for a couple hours on the counter, & then drain. Then add creamed mixture & they’re delicious. I use Vidalia onions or a milder onion.
Hi Kelly, do you remove the seeds also? I grew up with cucumber salad, including seeds. I wanted to ask Jenn why she removed the seeds, but then saw Alison’s question and Jenn’s reply. So I am wondering whether anyone out there has made the cucumber salad without removing the seeds.
Thank you.
This was really good and I usually don’t like cucumber salads.
I made this today and it was wonderful. I halved the recipe and it worked perfectly. I omitted the pepper, but that was the only change.