Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
This Creamy Cucumber Salad is so easy, creamy, and good. Crisp summer cucumbers and red onions with a delicious coating of fresh dill and sour cream dressing make this a must-have summer side dish!
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Why we Love this Creamy Cucumber Salad:
When garden cucumbers are plentiful, we enjoy finding creative ways to use them up. This salad is in our top 3 cucumber recipes along with our Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad and Ceviche. Our entire family loves this salad even our 5-year old so it is on the regular rotation all summer long.
Creamy Cucumber Salad, sometimes called German Cucumber Salad, is the perfect dish during the summer. The thick creamy sauce made with fresh lemon, dill, and sour cream, reminds me of Tzatziki Sauce (and I could put that stuff on anything!).
Creamy Cucumber Salad Ingredients:
You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make the best cucumber salad. Try this recipe with fresh garden-grown cucumbers and you will be hooked!
- Cucumbers: Fresh garden-grown cucumbers are my favorite for this dish, however, you can make this dish year-round with cucumbers from the grocery store
- Onions: I love using red onions for their sweetness and a bright pop of color against the green cucumbers. Yellow onions or chopped green onions also work.
- Sour Cream: provides a tangy and thick base for this yummy salad. Greek yogurt also works well.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice works the best (trust me!) and helps cut the thick sour cream to make the sauce taste lighter.
- Garlic Cloves: Again, fresh is best!
- Dill: Fresh or frozen dill works. We love to freeze the abundant fresh dill from summer and use it for this salad in the colder months.
Cook’s Tip: To freeze fresh dill – rinse, dry, chop, lightly pack into freezer zip bags and freeze flat.
Can I Substitute the Sour Cream?
I love using sour cream as the sauce base in this Creamy Cucumber Salad. It creates a delicious thick dressing. You can use reduced-fat sour cream which will create a slightly thinner sauce but will still be thick enough to contrast with the cucumbers.
If you are really cutting calories, try using plain Greek yogurt and add lemon juice to taste as Greek yogurt is tangier than sour cream.
What Cucumbers are Best for Salad?
The varieties of cucumbers are almost as endless as the types of cucumber salads. My favorite cucumbers to include in salads are:
- Garden Cucumbers: Crisp, crunchy, and our favorite when they come fresh from the garden. They lack the wax coating of those purchased at grocery stores. They can be served peeled or unpeeled.
- English Cucumbers: Also known as European cucumbers. This variety is mild in flavor, almost seedless, and usually 1-2 feet in length. They are typically sold wrapped in plastic to protect their thin skin and there is no need to peel them. These are greenhouse grown and typically more expensive.
- Cocktail Cucumbers: Deliciously crunchy and much smaller than other varieties of cucumbers. They are also more expensive per pound, but there’s no need to peel them.
- Wax-Coated Cucumbers: Probably the most prevalent cucumbers in North America, found at most grocery stores. They have a wax covering to help preserve the cucumber and will need to be peeled prior to eating.
How to Make this Easy Creamy Cucumber Salad:
1. Dressing time! Stir together the sour cream, lemon, garlic, and dill in a small bowl to make the scrumptious creamy dressing and set aside. Remember to add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Thinly slice cucumbers and onions into a large mixing bowl. Remember to peel the cucumber if you are using one that is wax-coated. Just before serving stir in the sauce to evenly coat the onions and cucumbers. (Only 2 steps – I promised you this was an easy salad!)
Pro Tip: Wait until right before serving to add the creamy dressing. After adding sauce, the salad will only stay fresh for about 2-3 hours if refrigerated.
More Delicious Cucumber Recipes:
- Avocado Cucumber Shrimp Bites – easy mouth-watering appetizer that always disappears fast.
- Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Salad – classic mix of cucumbers and tomatoes in a simple dressing.
- Cucumber Avocado Salad – simple and excellent salad with easy lime dressing
- Cucumber Feta Salad – with fresh Greek flavors
- Refrigerator Pickles – a quick and easy recipe for crisp and refreshing dill pickles
Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
This easy Creamy Cucumber Salad combines crisp cucumbers and sweet red onions with fresh sour cream, lemon, and dill sauce that will have you begging for more.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs cucumbers 2 english cucumbers or 7-10 small ones
- 1/2 medium purple or yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp fresh or frozen dill chopped
- 3/4 cup sour cream reduced fat is ok
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1/2 small lemon
- 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves pressed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt and pinch black pepper or to taste
Instructions
-
In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp dill, 1/2 tsp salt or to taste and a pinch of pepper. Stir and set aside while prepping salad.
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Slice cucumbers into thin rounds or half rounds if using large cucumbers. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add thinly sliced onion. Just before serving stir sauce into the salad and mix to coat cucumbers. After adding sauce, the salad will stay fresh for about 2-3 hours if refrigerated.
Recipe Notes
*For best results, add the creamy sour cream dressing to the cucumber salad just before serving.
*Fresh lemon juice works best.
*I've tested plain Greek yogurt and it works (although not quite as good), just omit lemon juice if using.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Add diced boiled potatoes for a refreshing potato salad.
Thank you so much for that suggestion Barb!
As it’s almost impossible to find fresh dill where I live (south central Mississippi) I had to use dried but still was fantastic! Brought back memories of my Ukrainian Mom & Gran making this all summer long. Thank you!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles
This is a salad I want on my table all summer! It is the perfect way to showcase all the cucumbers from my garden. So creamy and beyond delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
My mom used to make this all summer long when we were kids. I love the freshness of this dish and that it’s so easy to make too.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles
Light and feels like a sensible summer choice. Thank you for this!
You’re welcome Alisha!
This is a great way to eat garden cucumbers in the summer. It was very good, my only problem is my red onion was WAY too strong!! Lol. I added more cucumbers to make up for it and it was still delicious. I need to plant some dill, so I can use fresh dill instead of the dried stuff. I did not add salt but did add a garlic parsley blended spice which has a somewhat salty flavor. Turned out great for flavor, just hoping the leftovers don’t get too soggy. I will definitely make this again!
Great recipe, keep em coming!
Mmm fresh garden cucumbers! The best! Thank you for that awesome review!
I realy like your receips natasha keep it up I need booklet of receips via email the simple one since we don’t have some ingrediets in Namibia please natash
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Finally made this, very good! I didn’t have any lemons on hand so had to use white vinegar instead (normally do when I make a creamy dressing for cucumbers anyway). My 96 year old Ukrainian mother also gave this recipe her ‘seal of approval’ and she can be hard to please sometimes. Thanks for another great recipe.
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Kathy!
I loved the creamy cucumber salad it is real good. My son is a chef and he loved it to. I will make it again.
That’s so great Mary! Thank you for that great feedback!
Cucumbers prepared this way is delicious. Love the recipe. I used dry dill since I did not have fresh. Definitely a keeper the recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Absolutely loved this! Made as directed. They are addictive.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Wendy!
My mother (Russian/Ukrainian) used to make a salad similar to this on the holidays (Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years). She would soak the lettuce overnight in salty water. Anyone know what kind of salad this is? I cannot find the name or a recipe similar anywhere.
Hi Theresa, could it be sauerkraut (that is cabbage though) – I haven’t seen anything where lettuce was soaked overnight.
This is delicious! I halved the recipe and used dried dill. Definitely a keeper! Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe, thank for sharing!
So yummy! Highly recommended 🙂
I’m glad you love it Katie! Thanks for sharing 😀
Outstanding salad! This is a keeper. I used Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. I also salted the cucumber slices for an hour and let them drain. I also added a bit of julienned carrot for a bit of color. Delicious and enjoyed by the Thai family as well. And I can testify that 13 hours later, the cucumber is perfect and crunchy, as I enjoy some salad for breakfast 😉 Thank you Natasha for the wonderful recipe!
I love how you made it healthier and your tip about the cucumber is great! Thanks for sharing that Lee 🙂
THIS IS A BANGIN RECIPE CUTE GIRL!! OK, I did not have fresh dill, so I used dry and put it in the microwave for 15 sec. with the lemon juice. I also added a lot more pepper and crumbled feta cheese at the end — just because it sounded like a great idea, and was!! And because — sorry — I can’t leave a recipe alone. Loved this salad and your blog!!!
Awesome! I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe Melody! Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review! 🙂
Do you think this would work if you made small cubes of cucumber instead of slices? If salting to weep the cucumbers, would you leave the salt out of the sauce?
I am not very familiar with making cucumber salad =)
Hi Anne, this salad is intended to be eaten after it is made because the salt does cause the cucumbers to get juicy so I would recommend not adding the salt until ready to serve.
is it 1/2 tsp salt or 1 tsp..i added the tsp as it says at end but ingredient list calls only for 1/2 tsp..
thanks
Rebecca, thank you for noticing that. I would use 1/2 tsp to start and add more to taste. I would love to hear what you think of the salad 😬.
hey i made it for xmas for husband and myself..and used the 1 tsp..it tasted great..i think either on would work spending on peoples preference..and the 1 tsp def didnt make it too salty..
thanks..;)
It’s also great with dried crushed mint sprinkled into it.
I haven’t tried that. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Natasha, could I slice cucumbers and salt them for an hour then rinse and add dressing to keep them crisp?
Hi Kristi, I’ve never tried that but I have seen it done to salt and let them sit for 30 minutes then squeeze out the excess moisture and proceed. If you aren’t serving it soon after it’s made, it might be worthwhile to try that or you could just prep all of the ingredients and dressing in advance and add the dressing before serving. If you try the salting method, let me know how you like it 🙂
I use the salt method and it works great!! The cucumbers stay crispy for at least 3 days and the dressing doesn’t get watery. I just slice the cucumbers, salt them and let them sit about an hour in a sieve.
I used rice wine vinegar instead of lemon juice and it rocked!
That’s great to know it works as a substitute! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight. We have SO many cucumbers coming out of our garden right now, so I’m looking for every possible way to prepare them. It was delicious! A nice addition to our meal!
That’s just awesome! I’m so happy you enjoyed the salad. We also have an abundance of cucumbers right now. They are the best! We’re just savoring them as long as possible 🙂
Made this a couple days ago… Had a bunch of fresh from the garden cukes to use up. It was very yummy. I added cherry tomatoes cut in half which was a hit for the tomato eaters (I don’t like them or onions). I think the next I make this I’m adding shredded cheese, like parmesan or maybe cheddar. Thanks for the recipe!
I love the idea of adding cheese. Sounds so yummy!
This look delish….
What is the shelf life? It’s just my husband and me I want to make sure leftovers taste goo.
Melissa, the salad will stay fresh for about 2-3 hours if refrigerated. Cucumbers get soggy if left any longer.
how long will the cucumber salad last in the fridge ?
Hi Cathy, after you add the dressing (which has salt), the salad starts to get juicy and soft with time. It’s best to eat this salad soon after it is made.
Easy and tastes great!
Hi Krissy, thank you so much for the great review! 🙂
We will be adding this Delicious cucumber salad to our Thanksgiving dinner this year..and your tip really helps, so all my guests will enjoy the salad…so thanks Krissy really appreciate the tip… Ill give my rating after we’ve given it a try…BonAppetit
This looks delicious and easy to make. I’m on a diet right now – I need to eat light and fresh food and nothing cooked and baked. No stews, no barbeque… nothing. But that doesn’t mean that I have to torture myself, I can still eat delicious food, just need to be picky. This recipe goes straight in my cookbook and I’m making it at the moment xD Can’t wait!
Thanks, Natasha, good luck with everything!
Thank you Jessica, I hope that you’ll find many more favorites on the site :).
Hi, your cucumbers looks so delicious. What is their kind?
Thank you
I’m not sure what the specific variety is, but I know my Mom brought the seeds over from Ukraine. Sorry I know that’s not very helpful.
Lovely. Refreshing. Just what a hot summer supper needs!
Thank you for the great review and thank you for giving me the idea on what to make tonight :).
Hi,
My mother used to make this cucumber salad in the summer mostly, as they had huge gardens and abundant everything.
At the age of 30 I developed a lactose intolerance and have changed out the sour cream for a good, preferably organic, Greek yogurt and I use champagne vinegar in place of the lemon juice. Delicious. Just wanted to share this with you. Enjoy your website very much. Bev
Thank you so much for sharing that substitution with me! That actually sounds really good and healthy 🙂
I just love this salad, it’s so refreshing! I’ll sometimes add radishes too, sliced into “coins” like the cucumbers. But I’ve never added garlic to the dressing – next time will have to try that 🙂
It does add some really good flavor to the salad, specially after you let it meld in the dressing for a little bit while you chop the rest of your ingredients.
Natasha –
The salad looks so yummy…My son loves cucumbers with a little s&p before he starts his lunch.
I wish my son did. He’ll eat them when forced, but he also doesn’t like watermelon. He has interesting tastes ;).
Yes, my son does not like watermelon either… It took awhile to like the cucumbers :-)..Thank you so much for your great recipes and the hard work/effort that goes into making them.
How interesting! I bet they would be good friends! 😉