Creamy Cucumber Salad

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

To make Creamy Cucumber Salad, salt and drain sliced cucumbers, whisk a sour cream and dill dressing, then toss together and chill for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Jump to Recipe

Creamy Cucumber Salad is built for the part of summer when the grill is hot, the table is crowded, and nobody wants another side dish that needs to be baked at 400°F. Thin English cucumbers and red onion get coated in a cool sour cream dressing with mayonnaise, vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper. The result is crisp, tangy, creamy, and especially good beside burgers, grilled chicken, pork, or anything with a little char on it.

The important step happens before the dressing: salt the cucumber slices briefly, let them drain, then pat them dry. Cucumbers are basically water wearing a green jacket, and if you skip that step they will slowly turn the dressing into a pale soup. Once dressed, give the salad at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator so the dill, vinegar, and onion settle into each other. It gets better as it chills, although eventually the cucumbers start releasing water again, so this is a make-a-little-ahead side dish, not something that needs to spend three days contemplating its purpose in the refrigerator.

Prep15 minutes

Cook0 minutes

Total30 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

2 large English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess water. Pat dry with paper towels.
2In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper until smooth.
3Add the cucumbers and red onion to the bowl and toss to coat evenly in the dressing.
4Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.
5Taste and adjust salt or vinegar before serving.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

110Calories

1 gProtein

3 gCarbohydrates

11 gTotal Fat

4 gSaturated Fat

0 gFiber

2 gTotal Sugars

350 mgSodium

21 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Salt and drain the cucumbers first -- skipping this step leaves the salad watery since cucumbers release a lot of liquid.
Slice the cucumbers thin and even so they coat consistently with the creamy dressing.
Let the salad chill for at least 15 minutes; the flavor is noticeably better once it's had time to sit.

Substitutions

sour cream → plain Greek yogurt Use the same amount for a tangier, higher-protein version.

fresh dill → fresh parsley or chives A milder herb swap if dill isn't available.

English cucumbers → regular cucumbers, seeded Regular cucumbers have more seeds and water, so scoop out the seeds first.

Storage Instructions

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The cucumbers will release more liquid the longer it sits, so drain any excess before serving leftovers.