Creamy Cucumber Salad
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A summer staple, this creamy cucumber salad boasts a crunchy texture and tangy, rich flavor.
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.
Table of Contents
“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.”
What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
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. 
Cut each half into thin slices.
Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander along with the red onion slices and salt.
Toss and let sit in the sink for at least 30 minutes, until the water drains out.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, sugar, and black pepper. 
Mix well.
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.
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Creamy Cucumber Salad
A summer staple, this creamy cucumber salad boasts a crunchy texture and tangy, rich flavor.
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
- 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.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, sugar, and black pepper and mix well.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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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I can’t find fresh dill. Can I substitute dried dill weed?
Sure, Kara, that should work. I’d cut the dill back to 1 scant tablespoon. Enjoy!
This is so good! Please allow it to season for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator before judging it. I used Pinot Grigio white wine vinegar and thought that it was too sharp until I let the salad set in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours after which all the flavors settled into a delicious blend of deliciousness! All the ingredients married each other so nicely.
THIS IS DELICIOUS!
I tripled the recipe, and couldn’t salt the veggies because hubby had already chopped up all the ingredients (including halved cherry tomatoes). Also I used apple cider vinegar because I just love it, and used fake sugar (generic Splenda) as I am in the habit of going low carb when possible.
Your instruction to mix the dressing in a separate bowl made everything SO much easier, and why haven’t I been doing that before? Thanks for that!
I’ve made this salad many times, but I like your recipe the most. I’m printing and keeping this one and tossing all the others.
Btw, I make a LOT at one time, and the ingredients in the salad keep it tasting wonderful (and safe to eat) for well over a week.
Thank you! I’m looking forward to checking out your other recipes!
This is a lovely little salad dressing! I’ve made it a few times now and love it! However, my stomach struggles with raw onion so last night, I omitted it and added 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder instead. Hubs approved so that’s what we’ll do from now on. That’s one of the many things I love with Jenn’s recipes, they are great as written but also forgiving with minor changes. We talk about Jenn as if she were family or a close friend, lol, if only! I get so many compliments on my dishes when I use her recipes! So very thankful for her. 💕
❣️
We love this salad, and have made it many times! Note: I use champagne vinegar for it. ❤️
This was great with our cedar planked salmon, along with the sauteed zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Thank you.
Another delicious recipe! Thanks Jenn!
I won’t find fresh dill at my little local market but I have mint growing in the garden. Can I substitute mint for the dill in this recipe?
Many thanks.
Sure, that would be nice too!
Delicious and exactly what I was looking for!
I have used this recipe several times and my husband absolutely loves it. He loves the red onions sliced very thin and the recipe is very easy to use.