When it comes to refreshing summer salads, our Creamy Cucumber Salad is the perfect side dish for all your summertime meals.
Made with garden-fresh crisp cucumbers, sweet red onions, and a creamy dill dressing, it will be a welcome addition to your next family get-together, potluck, or Sunday dinner.
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This feel-good foodie is not always happy about eating veggies, but this cucumber salad is definitely something I’ll be making time and time again.
This salad packs a lot of flavor; the crisp bite of the cool cucumbers, coated with the creamy dill dressing, will make a veggie lover out of every member of your family.
Made with simple ingredients, it’s the perfect side dish for hot summer days. Our creamy cucumber salad goes great with pork chops, barbecue chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and just about anything else you grill.
If you’re looking for more delicious summertime side dishes, try our macaroni salad, coleslaw, and potato salad. They’re guaranteed to bring smiles to your table.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our easy creamy cucumber salad recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I change up the ingredients?
Absolutely, instead of apple cider vinegar, you could use white vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.
Add your favorite fresh herbs to the mix; fresh parsley, mint, lemongrass, and basil are a few of my favorites. We used red onions, but sweet onions, shallots, or green onions could be used with our easy recipe.
If you’re a garlic lover, add fresh chopped garlic or garlic powder to the dressing for extra flavor. For a touch of heat, add cayenne pepper or chili powder. You can also add lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning for a change of pace.
Add granulated sugar, honey, or your favorite sugar substitute for a touch of sweetness.
How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make creamy cucumber salad in your home kitchen.
- Wash the cucumbers with cold water and peel them. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
- Slice the cucumbers down into ¼ inch to ½ inch slices.
*You can peel the outer skin or leave it intact; it’s a personal choice.
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl
- Whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Add the fresh dill, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and table salt to the creamy mixture.
- Whisk to combine the creamy dressing.
*If time permits, let the mixture chill in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. - Add the sliced cucumbers, sliced red onion, and the creamy dressing to a large bowl.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold them into the sour cream dressing, coating all the slices.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
This salad is best served the day it’s made, but can be served the next day.
Our creamy cucumber salad is a refreshing side dish that pairs well with grilled dishes, pasta, and seafood. The cool flavors are the perfect complement to many of your summertime favorites.
Leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container or well covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 days. Drain off any excess liquid before remixing.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. We prefer large cucumbers, like English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers, as they tend to be extra crunchy. However, this recipe can also be made with burpless cucumbers, Asian cucumbers, cocktail cucumbers, or any of the fresh cucumbers from your garden.
Absolutely. You can swap out the mayo or sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. The flavor will be a little tangier, so you may want to cut back on the lemon juice.
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Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 English cucumbers
- ½ cup mayonnaise or plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream low-fat sour cream works as well
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemons zest
- 1 cup red onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers with cold water and peel them. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
- Slice the cucumbers down into ¼ inch to ½ inch slices. *you can peel the outer skin or leave it intact.
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and apple cider vinegar to a large bowl
- Whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Add the fresh dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to the creamy mixture.
- Whisk to combine.*If time permits, let the mixture chill in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
- Add the chopped red onion and sliced cucumbers to the creamy dressing. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold them into the dressing, coating all the slices.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.*We suggest not making the salad more than 6 hours in advance.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Make sure to restir the salad prior to eating.
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