Creamy Cucumber Salad

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A summer staple, this creamy cucumber salad boasts a crunchy texture and tangy, rich flavor.

creamy cucumber salad in wooden bowl.

Wave goodbye to soggy cucumber salads! This creamy cucumber salad boasts an irresistibly crunchy texture and rich, tangy flavor. Made with crisp English cucumbers, sweet red onions, and a dressing made with sour cream, mayonnaise, and fresh dill, it’s the perfect complement to grilled chicken or grilled salmon, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at picnics, barbecues, or potlucks.

The trick to keeping it crunchy? With cucumbers being naturally high in water, the key is salting the sliced cucumbers and red onions in a colander for 30 minutes before they’re dressed. This simple step not only keeps the cucumbers crisp but also gently pickles the onions—yum! This is a summertime staple you’ll want to make again and again.

“WOW, absolutely delicious! My family has never met a recipe from Jenn that we didn’t like, but this one is right up there in the top 10.”

Katie

What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Cucumber Salad

creamy cucumber salad ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Cut the cucumbers in half and then slice each half down the middle lengthwise. Use the tip of a teaspoon to scoop out the center seeds. Spoon on a cutting board with cucumbers, once of which has seeds removed.

Cut each half into thin slices.

Cucumbers sliced into half-moons.

Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander along with the red onion slices and salt.

salting cucumber and onion in strainer

Toss and let sit in the sink for at least 30 minutes, until the water drains out.

tossed cucumbers and onion

Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, sugar, and black pepper. sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, pepper, and dill in mixing bowl

Mix well.

whisked creamy cucumber salad dressing

When the cucumbers and onions are ready, release any excess water by tapping the colander several times on the base of the sink, then use a large wad of paper towels or clean dish towel to pat the vegetables dry.

blotting cucumbers and onion dry with paper towel

Add the vegetables to the dressing and toss well. vegetables mixed with dressing

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

creamy cucumber salad in wooden bowl.

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

A summer staple, this creamy cucumber salad boasts a crunchy texture and tangy, rich flavor.

Servings: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus 30 minutes to salt the vegetables

Ingredients

  • 2 English cucumbers (also called hothouse cucumbers)
  • ½ medium red onion, finely sliced (about ⅔ cup)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
  • ¾ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut the cucumbers in half and then slice each half down the middle lengthwise. Use the tip of a teaspoon to scoop out the center seeds. Cut each half into thin slices and place in a colander along with the red onion slices. Toss with the salt and let sit in the sink for at least 30 minutes, until the water drains out.
  2. Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, sugar, and black pepper and mix well.
  3. When the cucumbers and onions are ready, release any excess water by tapping the colander several times on the base of the sink, then use a large wad of paper towels or clean dish towel to pat the vegetables dry. Add the vegetables to the dressing and toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
  4. Make-Ahead Instructions: The salad can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead of serving.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 126
  • Fat: 11 g
  • Saturated fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6 g
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 336 mg
  • Cholesterol: 14 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • Just made this, fantastic. Is there any substitute for the mayo?

    • — Nancy on August 11, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Nancy, Glad you enjoyed this! You could use more sour cream in place of the mayo but because sour cream adds tanginess, I’d reduce the white wine vinegar to one tablespoon. Keep in mind the texture of the salad won’t be quite as creamy without the mayo.

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