This Creamy Cucumber Salad only takes about 15 minutes to make and is the perfect picnic salad. Make it for gatherings or a simple side dish for family dinners.
Fresh garden vegetables are one of my very favorite things about summer. Whether we get them from our own garden or the farmer’s market, they truly spark joy for me.
Fresh cucumbers are no different, they are so delicious when they are fresh. Cucumbers are the star of this easy creamy cucumber and onion salad recipe. The easy dressing on this salad highlights all there is to love about cucumbers.
Cucumber Salad Ingredients
We are only using two veggies in this simple recipe for creamy cucumber salad. Combined with a creamy and tangy dressing, the result is a salad that is refreshing and delicious. Find all the measurements for this delicious salad in the recipe card below.
- English cucumbers: I share more about what cucumbers to use in this salad below. You don’t have to peel the cucumbers, just be sure to wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt and debris, and be sure to slice them very thin.
- Small red onion: I love the subtle sweetness that the red onions bring to this recipe. Don’t cut them too thin for this recipe or they won’t hold up.
Dressing Ingredients
The dressing for this cucumber onion salad is so simple. Simple ingredients you likely already have on hand whisk together to create a creamy dressing that perfectly complements cucumbers.
- Sour cream: The combination of mayonnaise and sour cream make the base of the dressing. Light sour cream can be used here, but I wouldn’t recommend fat free as it will be too thin.
- Mayonnaise: As with the sour cream, you can use light mayo, but I would not suggest fat free mayonnaise. Additionally, you want to use actual mayonnaise not something like Miracle Whip as it will drastically change the flavors.
- Vinegar: I use white vinegar here, and I wouldn’t recommend a different type. It gives the dressing a great zip without adding more flavor.
- Lemon juice: This both gives the dressing a delightful zing and a beautiful freshness. As with a recipes, I recommend using fresh lemon juice, but bottled will work in a pinch.
- Fresh dill weed: I love adding fresh dill to dressings, it brings great flavor. If you are in an absolute pinch, you could replace it with dried dill, but you will want to reduce the amount by half.
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Cucumber Salad
This creamy cucumber salad with sour cream comes together in under 30 minutes. Here is a brief overview of how to make it. Be sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe including all ingredients and their measurements.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
- Combine the vegetables and dressing. Add your thinly sliced cucumbers and onion to a large bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Garnish and enjoy. Garnish with more fresh dill and serve or, for best results, refrigerate for one to two hours before serving.
What Type of Cucumber to Use
I used English Cucumbers for this recipe. I love how crisp they are with the minimal number of seeds they have.
That being said, use whatever type of cucumber you have. As I mentioned above, I think that cucumbers from the garden and the farmer’s market are amazing in this salad.
Fresh Dill
I would encourage you to use fresh dill in this recipe and not dried dill. I have some recipes, like my Ranch Dressing, where either will work. Because of the small amount of ingredients in this recipe, I really think this is a place to use fresh dill. If it will lead to you skipping this recipe, then use the dried dill instead but reduce the amount by half.
Making This Recipe Ahead
This is not my favorite recipe to make the day before. So if you are planning an event and want to make some side dishes the night before, this might not be one to add to that list. With it’s short prep time, this is a great one to whip up an hour before your event.
That being said, I do think you should make it one to two hours before you plan on serving it. The vinegar and the lemon juice soften the cucumbers and onion and the flavors have a chance to really come together.
FAQ
You definitely don’t have to as the peel is perfectly safe to eat, but if you don’t want the texture of the peel you can peel the cucumbers before slicing them.
This recipe makes five cups. That is the perfect amount for about six people if you are only having one side dish. If this is one of many side dishes, I would count on about 1/2 a cup per person.
I do not recommend keeping leftovers of this salad. If it sits out for two hours, toss what is left.
Since cucumbers are 90% water, it is nearly impossible to prevent them from adding water to the salad. However, by eating this salad within the first couple of hours of making it, the cucumbers will be crunchy and fresh. If it sits too long, the cucumbers will be soggy and the salad will be watery.
Other Great Summer Salads
Refreshing and full of flavor, these are my current favorite vegetable side dishes:
- Panzanella Salad: This classic Italian recipe makes for such a great summer salad.
- Corn Salad: I could eat an entire bowl of just this for lunch.
- Easy Beet Salad: The simple flavors of this recipe are so amazing.
If you make this creamy cucumber salad recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3 large English cucumbers sliced thin
- 1 small red onion sliced thin (1/2 a medium onion, 1/4 large onion)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120 grams)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (52 grams)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt if using table salt, start with half
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup fresh dill, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Add the sliced cucumbers and red onion to a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and garnish with more fresh dill.3 large English cucumbers, 1 small red onion
- While you can serve this salad right away, I think it is best after refrigerating for 1- 2 hours. I do not recommend making this salad ahead of time.
Katerina says
This looks like the perfect summery refreshing salad – yum! I can just imagine this being served on the side, with the Sunday lunch. It looks so delicious, thanks for sharing!
I hope you like it, Katerina!
Kerrie says
What type of mayo do you suggest for the best flavor? Miracle Whip or an actual mayo like Duke’s ?
I’m not familiar with Dukes, but you want to use actual mayonnaise and not Miracle Whip.
Sandi says
Your recipes are always right on and easy to make. Thanks for Sharing
Thank you Sandi!
Debbie Weiler says
What can I use instead of dill? I hate dill and want to try this recipe
You can try just leaving it out and then adding a little fresh parsley for garnish. It will be a different taste, but still delicious.
Kristella says
What type of vinegar is suggested?
I used white vinegar.
Joan [email protected] says
I am new to your site