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This easy creamy cucumber salad with sour cream, dill, and onion is a fresh, iconic side dish perfect for BBQ, summer picnics, and potlucks.
Try my Tomato Cucumber Salad and my Cucumber Tzatziki Sauce next!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Creamy cucumber salad is a cool, tangy side that comes together fast and complements just about any summer meal. It’s light but satisfying, with crisp cucumber slices, a touch of red onion, and a dill and sour cream dressing that takes me back to Grandma's house. This version skips any fancy ingredients and keeps things classic, naturally vegetarian, and gluten free!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cucumber type: English or Persian cucumbers are the easiest—no peeling or seeding needed. If using waxy cucumbers, peel the skin and scoop out the seeds for best texture.
- Red onion – Thinly sliced for a bit of sharpness and crunch.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt – For that creamy, tangy base. Either one works!
- White vinegar – Adds a pop of acidity to balance the creaminess.
- Fresh dill – The star herb in this salad. Use fresh if you can for the best flavor.
- Garlic – Just a touch, finely minced, for depth.
- Salt and pepper – To season the cucumbers and bring everything together.
How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
First, slice and salt the cucumbers. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut cucumbers ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Layer them on paper towels, sprinkle each layer with salt, and let them sit 15 minutes to release moisture.
To make the dressing, whisk together sour cream (or yogurt), vinegar, dill, garlic, and pepper.
Next, toss the dried cucumber slices and red onion with the dressing until well coated. Serve right away or refrigerate until ready. For make-ahead, store cucumbers and dressing separately and toss just before serving.
Serve creamy cucumber salad chilled and watch it disappear!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the salting step: It draws out excess moisture so the dressing doesn’t get watery. Just 15 minutes makes a big difference in texture.
- Use fresh dill: Fresh dill adds a brighter, more vibrant flavor than dried and is easy to find at most grocery stores. It's especially fresh and fragrant at the farmer’s market.
- Onion swap: You can swap the red onion with a more mellow onion, like sweet onion or shallot, if you prefer a milder flavor.
- Creamy dressing swap: You can use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Both work well—choose based on taste or what you have on hand.
What to Serve with Creamy Cucumber Salad
This creamy salad is the perfect companion for just about any protein entree. Serve it with grilled salmon, broiled salmon, or slow cooker pulled pork. It also works beautifully alongside burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, pasta salads, baked beans, or any picnic spread.
More summer salads
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Loaded Potato Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Turkey Salad Recipe
- Red Potato Salad with Dill
📖 Recipe
Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad
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Video
When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
- 2 medium English Cucumbers, about 1 pound or 4 cups sliced
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ cup Sour Cream, or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
- ½ small Red Onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the CUCUMBERS into ⅛ to ¼‑inch rounds.
- Arrange in a single layer on paper towels and sprinkle with SEA SALT to draw out moisture. Let sit for 15 minutes, then blot dry and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together SOUR CREAM, GARLIC, DILL, VINEGAR, and BLACK PEPPER.
- Add the DRESSING and RED ONION to the cucumbers. Toss gently to combine.
- Serve right away or refrigerate until serving.For make-ahead, store sliced cucumbers and dressing separately and toss just before serving.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- chef's knife or mandoline slicer
- paper towels
Alex says
I've tried many Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad recipes and this one is my favorite! It's the classic combo, perfect balance, and reminds me of my grandma's. I use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Tastes like summer! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Traci says
Aw, I love that this recipe brought back memories of your grandma—that makes me so happy! Lemon juice sounds like a bright and refreshing swap. Thanks so much for sharing!
Tara says
Incredibly light and refreshing salad! Took it with me for a spring picnic and we ate all of it!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad you enjoyed and thanks for letting me know 🙂 Cheers!
veenaazmanov says
This looks definitely healthy and refreshing. Perfect for the Summers too. Combination of Dill sounds unique to this salad. A must try.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Glad you can enjoy it 🙂 Thanks!
Angela says
I love this salad! I grew up eating it and it's so perfect for the summer. Super refreshing and yummy!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Such a great memory 🙂
Anita says
This cucumber salad is so delicious and refreshing. It's perfect for hot summer days.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yesss! Yay cucumber season 🙂
Kris says
This was so refreshing and delicious. Can't wait to make again!
Lois says
Sounds like my Mom’s recipe but I don’t know why it doesn’t list how many servings.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya, the servings are listed in the recipe card. It yields 4 cups and the nutrition information is calculated as .5 cup (1/2 cup) servings. Enjoy!
Jeffrey says
This is SO good and (as always) easy as ever. It really does remind me of the old fashioned cucumber salad my family made back in the day. Great recipe KG!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Glad you love it as much as I do 🙂
Beth says
My hubby is going to love this salad to go with his lunch today! Excited to try this recipe! Looks so delicious and refreshing!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Beth! So glad you can enjoy this one ... thanks 🙂
Alison says
This is such a great salad to make this weekend for Memorial Day! Easy and flavorful!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes! Couldn't agree more ... glad you love it like we do 🙂
Anjali says
We love this cucumber salad and make it all the time - it's the perfect side dish for just about anything! Great for summer picnics too!
The Kitchen Girl says
Very cool! So glad you enjoy this one 🙂 Thanks so much!
Sara Welch says
Love a light cucumber salad and this recipe was no exception! Such a cool and refreshing recipe with the perfect amount of crunch! Delish!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Glad you're enjoying it 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Cathleen says
I have so much cucumber in the fridge, so I am so glad I found this recipe!! Making this as soon as I get home, thank you so much for the recipe!!
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome! Cucumber salad really is the perfect thing to make with extra cucumber 🙂 Enjoy!