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Creamy Cucumber Salad
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Creamy Cucumber Salad – just like Grandma made! This recipe is made with fresh cucumbers, red onions, fresh dill, and a handful of other ingredients for a side dish that everyone will love. The perfect salad for picnics, potlucks, or summer grilling!

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What is it about summer that makes me want to eat all the salads? Not just because they’re light and summery and the perfect addition to any meal… but because summer produce is my absolute favorite. And to me, there’s nothing more summery than fresh cucumbers!

I love sprinkling them with salt and pepper, eating them in salads, and adding them to sandwiches for an extra bit of crunch. And I especially love them in this Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad!

There’s something nostalgic about it – it’s a recipe that’s been around forever and a dish that most of us have probably enjoyed at family get togethers at one point or another.

It’s simple, yet it’s packed with so much flavor. Between the crunchy cucumbers, the creamy dressing, and the fresh dill, this salad truly is no-fuss in every way. Plus, it’s the perfect side dish for so many meals, from Steak Bites to Pan Fried Chicken to our favorite Blackened Salmon recipe.

what you’ll need for this recipe

Cucumbers – I used regular slicing cucumbers, but you can feel free to use English, Persian, or any variety you enjoy. It’s also the perfect way to use up all your fresh garden cucumbers.

Onion – Onion adds delicious flavor and extra crunch to this salad. I used red onion for its milder flavor and the beautiful color it adds to this salad.

Sour cream – Sour cream is the main ingredient in the creamy sauce. I used regular full fat sour cream but you can feel free to use a lower fat variety or substitute plain Greek yogurt.

Vinegar – Vinegar gives this salad a bit of acidity. I used regular white vinegar, but you could also substitute golden balsamic or white wine vinegar.

Fresh dill – Fresh dill weed pairs well with cucumbers and gives this salad the most deliciously fresh flavor. I added 2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill.

Sugar – 1 teaspoon granulated sugar adds a delicious hint of sweetness to the cucumbers. Omit the sugar if you prefer.

Salt & garlic powder – 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder give this salad just the right amount of extra flavor.

What Kind of Cucumbers for Cucumber Salad?

Feel free to use whatever kind of cucumbers you’d like in this recipe. Many people prefer English cucumbers in salads, since they tend to be sweeter and have fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. You can also use Persian cucumbers, which are smaller and tend to be sweeter and crunchier.

how to make Creamy Cucumber Salad

Slice the cucumbers and onion. Cut the onion into thin slices using a sharp knife or mandoline. Wash the cucumbers, then cut them into thin slices also and pat them dry with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.

Make the sauce. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, white vinegar, minced fresh dill, granulated sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Stir until combined.

Add the cucumbers and onions. Add the sliced cucumbers and red onion and toss gently to coat.

Garnish & enjoy! Garnish with additional fresh dill and fresh black pepper as desired. Serve immediately or cover and chill before serving. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

make-ahead & storage tips

This salad tastes best when it’s made at least 1 hour in advance and refrigerated to let the flavors combine. If you’d like to make it even further in advance, just slice and store the vegetables separately, then toss with the dressing just before serving. This salad will last up to 3 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe Variations

  • Use any type of cucumber you have on hand
  • Peel the cucumbers instead of keeping the peel on
  • Substitute white or green onion OR chives
  • Add chopped fresh tomatoes or avocado
  • Add baked salmon for protein
  • Substitute another fresh herb in place of the dill (e.g. fresh mint, parsley or basil)
  • Add 1-2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise to the dressing
  • Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • Substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream

More Cucumber Recipes You’ll Love

If you have an abundance of garden cucumbers… I’ve got you covered! These are some of our favorite cucumber recipes we know you’ll love!

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad - just like Grandma made! This classic recipe is made with fresh cucumbers, red onions, fresh dill, and a handful of other ingredients for a side dish that everyone will love. It's light, creamy, and incredibly easy to make. The perfect salad for picnics, pot lucks, or summer grilling. Whether you grew up on it or are trying it for the first time, you're sure to LOVE the flavor in this easy summer salad!
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 49kcal
Author: Cathy Trochelman

Ingredients

  • 3 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • Cut the onion into thin slices using a sharp knife or mandoline. Wash the cucumbers, then cut them into thin slices also and pat them dry with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, white vinegar, minced fresh dill, granulated sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Stir until combined.
  • Add the sliced cucumbers and red onion and toss gently to coat.
  • Garnish with additional fresh dill and fresh black pepper as desired. Serve immediately or cover and chill before serving. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Make Ahead & Storage Tips

This salad tastes best when it's made at least 1 hour in advance and refrigerated to let the flavors combine. If you'd like to make it even further in advance, just slice and store the vegetables separately, then toss with the dressing just before serving. This salad will last up to 3 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

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Recipe Rating




Comments

    • Kelli Cotey says

      Made the Cucumber and onion salad tonight, really good 👍 but Cucumbers have a lot of water 💧 in them. I should have salted them and drained before making like I usually do! 4 stars anyway…😉😊

      Reply

    • Christy says

      Made this tonight as a side dish with dinner. We have so many pickling cucumbers right now out of our garden (but not enough to can pickles) and I’ve been trying to find recipes for salads to use them all. This was perfect! It was a huge hit!! A new GO TO recipe for our family! Thank you! So easy to make too!
      P.S. I subsituted green onions right out of our garden as well! SUPER YUMMY!

      Reply

    • Jessica Preski says

      Delicious! Had to use up a bag of mini cucs I had forgotten about. I didn’t have onions but followed everything else. Cannot believe how easy this was. Thank you for sharing ❤️

      Reply

  7. Peggy Frye says

    5 stars
    I love this recipe and now I’m going to make it using the variations. Thank you for reminding how much I love this recipe.

    Reply

  8. Eileen says

    Do you think you could substitute plan Greek Yogurt for the sour cream? I’m discovering it because it is a free food on Weight Watchers.

    Reply

    • Eve says

      I made it and it was creamy and delicious! It went well with instant pot spaghetti . My family loved it. I didn’t have fresh dill so I put the dry one and it was perfect. I printed it out and put in my recipe binder to message again and again.
      This one is a keeper.

      Reply

  16. Bebe Barook says

    Has anyone in this comment section actually TRIED this cucumber salad? Just wondering if anyone likes it and if there are any tweaks to make it even better! All comment say they WILL try it, but none say they did make it. Odd.

    Reply

    • Garry says

      I literally made it four hours ago and just tasted it. The verdict? Don’t waste your time. Sour cream and dill did not create the favor I was expecting. It’s actually pretty gross.

      Reply

    • Angela says

      I was thinking the same thing! Everyone is saying how it looks good and they want to try it…..but hardly any people who have made it. I like to know beforehand if there’s any tweaks that’ll make it better before I make it

      Reply

    • Deana Marr says

      I’ve made it several times and it is really good. I leave the skin on. My only suggestion is to add a little more vinegar

      Reply

  17. Bebe Barook says

    OK..I just made it for dinner and the vote is TEN STARS!!! Fantastic..the only thing I did different was used real maple syrup instead of sugar. mmmmmm

    Reply

  18. Lori says

    Made this for Easter potluck this year. Everyone loved it!! From now on I won’t make cucumber salad any other way.

    Reply

  20. JODY says

    Made this for a bbq the exact recipe and it was delicious..i used a salad spinner just to get rid of a bit of excess water from cukes just cuz i made quite a few hours i advance. Was SO GOOD!!

    Reply

  21. Debbra says

    Just made it. Awesome ! I left out the garlic powder. Next time I will use Greek Yogurt. Thanks for a tasty simple recipe.

    Reply

  24. Linda Hansen says

    As a diabetic, it frustrates me to no end to see sugar being added to these “easy” recipes. Sugar is highly overrated in my opinion, and eating so much of it is why our rate of Type 2 Diabetes is skyrocketing, along with not being as active as we used to be. (When you purchase store bought items, such as peanut butter or spaghetti/pizza sauce, look at the ingredients. They all contain things like: fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, sugar, high fructose corn syrup. Our bodies were not designed to handle this much sugar, and it’s in EVERYTHING that is prepared ahead of time, even deli items like potato salad,).

    Reply

    • Dee says

      Linda, I have diabetics in my family too so I just made it with Swerve (an erythritol based sugar alcohol) that is not supposed to affect blood glucose. Try it with the Swerve, it’s very light and refreshing. But of course you are right, too many of our recipes and foods have added sugars and our health is suffering as a result.

      Reply

    • MJ says

      I made it and it was delicious. If anyone is worried about the sugar content, please understand there is only 1 teaspoon of sugar in the entire recipe. If sugar is a concern and you’re planning on eating the whole thing in one sitting, just adjust the recipe.

      Reply

    • Jennifer says

      I am type 2 and with only 1 tsp of sugar.. it didn’t affect my numbers at all. It’s very healthy actually and is something I am able to actually enjoy. Thank you for the recipe!! Only thing I did was half the vinegar so my stomach won’t get upset 🙂

      Reply

  26. Naana says

    Linda Hansen, while I realize managing a diabetic diet is frustrating and analyzing labels for added sugars is wise, chastizing the author for 1 tsp of sugar in a recipie filled with garden goodness (and proteins which partner well to help in the digestion of carbs) and that represents exactly the sort of diet Americans should be consuming to avoid Type 2 is a bit thoughtless.

    To the author and audience, the recipie was great. I substituted 1/2 the sour cream with greek yogurt and it tasted wonderful. A nice change from the Asian cucumber salad I usually make… With the bumper crop I have coming, this will be a “go to” recipie for the summer.

    Reply

  27. Loretta says

    I just use salad dressing, sugar, vinegar, salt/pepper and add onions. Couldn’t tell you how much, as I’m a taste the flavor and throw in more or less type of cook. Lol I love it, but not crazy over sour cream. Idk if I’ll like it. The yogurt idea sounds interesting.

    Reply

    • Cathy Trochelman says

      I hear you…there are different ways to make the dressing. If you try the creamy version, let me know how you like it 🙂

      Reply

  28. Anthony Allen says

    Love the simplicity of this. Made it as written but also like how I can adapt it and substitute herbs I have on hand and it is still refreshing. I like how the dressing has very little sugar. I usually make with salmon as an accompaniment. Thanks!

    Reply

  30. Lizzie says

    Thank you!
    Why do some people make negative comments when someone post a recipe on line?
    If you have health issues, or other problems, then son’t add the sugar, or whatever ingredient is listed?
    Not everyone is diabetic, and I’m sorry for those who do, but why punish the OP by negative comments.
    If the recipe does not suit you then simply move on!
    Very simple.
    BTW, this recipe is DELISH! Thank you for sharing with us 🙂

    Reply

  31. Lauren says

    I made this last week to go with some pierogies. My family really enjoyed it. I had been looking for a salad recipe that wouldn’t be out of place next to something like pierogies, while at the same time using up some dill I had in the fridge, and this seemed like that sort of salad to me.

    I didn’t change anything significant about it, but the vinegar I used was apple cider vinegar, I used a couple scallions instead of onions, and I added some diced tomato. It seems like a pretty forgiving recipe where amounts needed are not exact. It tasted really good with lunch the next day, too. I liked it so much I’m making it again to go with tonight’s dinner of, well, pierogies.

    Reply

  32. Amy says

    You just brought back a lot of memories for me here. My grandmother used to make a very similar salad to this. I can’t wait to try your version.

    Reply

  34. CToth says

    A+++ This was Excellent. We both loved it. Soo refreshing and crisp and delicious. A perfect summer salad on a hot day. It will be a regular at our table.
    Thank you soo much for sharing your recipe.
    Much Gratitude

    Reply

  35. Amanda says

    I grew up making this. The recipe is pretty straight on to our Czech version. The trick is tasting the final product and either adding more vinegar or sugar to balance until it’s to your taste. I use apple cider vinegar in mine because I always have it around. I wouldn’t add the salt next time. Pretty good!

    Reply

  36. Amanda says

    We loved this! Made it with buffalo grilled chicken, it was the perfect compliment. My favorite part is where you listed Kroger sour cream in the ingredients list. We recently moved to northeast Ohio from Kentucky and I miss Kroger terribly lol

    Reply

  37. STEPHANIE says

    This recipe tastes exactly how my Mom use to make this. She has passed away and I never could get it to come close to her recipe, this one does. The first time I made it I followed the recipe to a T, it was very good, even better the next day. This time I halved the sugar and made it the night before, DELICIOUS! Love this, Thank You so Very Much!!

    Reply

  38. Mary P. says

    I just made this and it’s hanging in the fridge and I have all I can do not to devour the bowl after trying a bite. It’s so pretty with the red onions too!

    Reply

  39. Sandi Jones says

    Super tasty! I did salt & drain the sliced cukes for half an hour. They were fresh from my garden, and super juicy. Next time, if they’re fresh, I think I’ll drain them a little longer. Used yogurt, worked well.

    Reply

  41. Julianne says

    My Polish grandmother used to make a salad like this. Not surprising that it would go well with pierogi! One thing she did that wasn’t mentioned in this recipe is to dehydrate the cucumbers for a little while (put them in a colander with salt for an hour and then pat dry), but that step isn’t necessary for a good salad! I was looking to this recipe to remember proportions for the sauce, and it did not disappoint!

    Reply

  42. bistro says

    Wow,it looks delicious. Thank you for sharing. I will try to make this salad for my family. I believe my family will like this very much. Love so much.

    Reply

  43. ATX says

    Wow, your recipe is so amazing. I have never known this recipe. Thank for sharing. I will share this recipe for my friends and my family. I think they love it too.

    Reply

  45. Annie says

    Made this today, and it was great. The onions added a extra subtle flavor to the salad. I have made this salad for years, but without the onions.

    Reply

  46. Melissa Adams says

    I made this with English cucumbers and dried dill (twice what’s called for because we love dill) and it turned out incredible! Will definitely be making again.

    Reply

  49. Marianne says

    Salting the cucumbers allows them to sweat their liquid which can make the salad watery. Place cucs in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water and dry on a clean kitchen towel. Proceed with recipe.

    Reply

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