This creamy cucumber salad is so creamy, easy to make, and the perfect salad for picnics, potlucks, or summer grilling. This refreshing summer staple has a crisp, crunchy texture with tangy rich flavors from the sour cream dressing. It’s ready in 10 minutes and uses simple ingredients like crisp cucumbers, red onion, tangy sour cream, creamy mayonnaise, vinegar, fresh dill, and garlic powder.
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Why we love this creamy dill cucumber salad
- It’s a simple salad that packs a punch of flavors.
- It’s very quick to make, and comes together in 10 minutes.
- Uses simple ingredients, I bet you most probably have the ingredients in your kitchen.
- It’s the perfect side dish for picnics, potlucks, or summer grilling. Next to chimichurri grilled chicken, and grilled tilapia this salad is delicious!
- With crisp, crunchy cucumbers, fresh dill, red onion, and sour cream dressing the texture of this salad is absolutely spot on.
- This creamy cucumber salad is easy to make with very little fuss.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need-
- English cucumber
- Red onion
- Fresh dill
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
- Salt
- Sugar
All ingredients exact measurements are mentioned in recipe card below.
- Cucumber – Long English cucumbers are great as they have thin skin. You don’t have to peel the skin, although you can peel if you prefer.
- Red onion – adds great texture and flavor to the salad. You can use white onion, yellow onion, or purple onion instead of red onion, whichever is available.
- If you prefer to take off the bit of the onion, soak sliced onion in cold water for a couple of minutes, drain completely and pat dry before adding to the salad.
- Fresh dill – fresh dill tastes best. Dried dill can be used as a last resort only if you can’t get your hands on fresh dill. Substitute 1 teaspoon of dried dill for every 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
- Sour cream – the main ingredient for the salad dressing. The cream tang flavor of sour cream when combined with cool cucumbers, it’s the best!
- Mayonnaise – add a rich creamy taste to the salad.
- Garlic powder – gives it a touch of savory note and helps in balancing the creamy sweet taste of the dressing.
- Red wine vinegar – add brightness to the salad. Each person has a flavor profile they like – if you think red wine vinegar alters the taste of the dressing (a bit), you can substitute with freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.
- Sugar – for a touch of sweetness.
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
How to make it
Prep vegetables. Wash the cucumber and pat dry completely. Cut into thin slices. If you prefer to peel cucumbers you can peel the skin off.
Cut red onions into thin slices.
Finely chop fresh dill leaves.
Make dressing. In a large bowl add sour cream, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and sugar. Whisk well.
Toss salad. Add sliced cucumbers, sliced onion, and chopped dill leaves to the dressing. Gently toss the salad well. Serve immediately or refrigerator for 30 minutes to develop flavors.
Jo’s tip – to prevent the salad from getting watery, scarp seeds off the cucumber. Cut the cucumber lengthwise half, and using a spoon scrape the seeds off. Cut into slices and use to make a salad.
You can also salt cucumber, let it rest for a few minutes, drain all liquid and pat dry completely then use in salad.
How to store
This creamy cucumber salad tastes best the same day it’s made.
However, it will last for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Remember as salad rests it will turn soggy as cucumbers will continue to release liquid. The cucumber will also lose it’s crisp, crunchy texture as it rests in the sour cream dressing.
I do not recommend freezing the salad, the texture will become unappealing.
Common questions
You can use any type of cucumber for this salad. I prefer English cucumbers, long cucumbers are best as it has thin skin.
Feel free to use Persian cucumbers, garden cucumbers, or even cocktail cucumbers can be used.
You don’t have to peel the skin, although if you prefer to skin off you can peel.
Sour cream gives this salad the essential slightly tangy, creamy texture. The sour cream and cucumber combo is the best. However, if you want to substitute sour cream, you can use Greek yogurt. Using Greek yogurt makes this salad light, and comparatively health-ish.
I won’t recommend freezing this salad. The texture of the salad will be unappealing.
MORE SUMMER SALADS
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📋Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3 long English cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Wash the cucumber and pat dry completely. Cut into thin slices. If you prefer to peel cucumbers you can peel the skin off.
- Cut red onions into thin slices.
- Finely chop fresh dill leaves.
- In a large bowl add sour cream, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and sugar. Whisk well.
- Add sliced cucumbers, sliced onion, and chopped dill leaves to the dressing. Gently toss the salad well. Serve immediately or refrigerator for 30 minutes to develop flavors.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Notes
Tip – to prevent the salad from getting watery, scarp seeds off the cucumber. Cut the cucumber lengthwise half, and using a spoon scrape the seeds off. Cut into slices and use to make a salad.
You can also salt cucumber, let it rest for a few minutes, drain all liquid and pat dry completely then use in salad.
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
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