This creamy cucumber salad is my favorite refreshing salad for a summer dinner table. I love serving it alongside grilled chicken or grilled ribeye steak, but it works anytime you need a fresh and creamy side dish!
Why This Creamy Cucumber Salad Works
- No watery cucumbers! Similar to my other cucumber salads, I’ve found that salting the cucumber helps prevent them from becoming watery over time. Because nobody wants a soggy salad!
- Green onions give it a fresher flavor. Most cucumber salads rely heavily on red onion, but I found that adding green onions creates more texture and a fresher bite that works especially well for summer meals.
- The dressing is creamy without feeling heavy. As I taste tested my way through this recipe, my goal was to create the perfect balance of creamy and tangy, without being overly thick. This version strikes the perfect balance!
I definitely have a thing for cucumber salads. They’re so simple to toss together in a pinch and can be made in more ways than you can imagine. This recipe is a creamy version of my classic cucumber salad (a true Downshifter favorite), and I love every bit of it.
The dressing is perfectly creamy with the right amount of zippy, tangy flavors. Just make sure not to overdo it on the vinegar! That also goes for my Asian cucumber salad, where the right amount of rice vinegar makes all the difference.
But there’s just something about the cooling combo of cucumbers and sour cream that works SO well as a side salad. Especially served alongside a grilled or roasted meaty main. I have a feeling this one will be made on repeat when the sun is shining bright (check out all the serving ideas I’ve listed below!)
Creamy Cucumber Salad Ingredients
- English cucumbers: I always use English cucumbers because they’re less watery, have thinner skin (so you don’t have to peel them), and have fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. That means a crunchier salad with less excess liquid. I also like slicing them slightly thicker so they stay crisp once tossed in the creamy dressing.
- Onions: Red onions are classic for cucumber salads. But I love the way green onions add a subtle, fresh bite to most of my salads, so I’m tossing a few stalks in. I love the combination of both!
- Fresh dill: When it comes to fresh herbs, I always reach dill in my cucumber salads. But if you’re not a fan of dill, you can swap in another fresh herb.
- Sour cream: This creates the creamy, tangy base for the dressing without making it overly rich. I tested Greek yogurt as well, and while both work, sour cream was my personal favorite. It also gives the salad a smoother, more classic flavor.
- White wine vinegar: This adds a classic punch of tangy flavor to brighten up the salad. You could also use apple cider vinegar. And sometimes I’ll swap in lemon juice when I want the salad to taste extra fresh and summery.
- Garlic and black pepper: Simple additions to round out the flavors.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make A Creamy Cucumber Salad
Salt the cucumbers. Add the sliced cucumber to a colander and toss with the salt. Set the colander in your sink or on top of a plate, as the salt will pull liquid from the cucumbers. Let this sit for 20 minutes.
Lisa’s Tip: While you might be tempted, don’t skip the salting step. You’ll notice quite a bit of water collecting underneath, and that’s exactly what you want! The more water that’s pulled out here, the less liquidy your salad will be.
Wash and drain. Rinse the cucumbers with cold water, making sure to remove most of the salt.
Add ingredients to a bowl. Add the drained cucumber to a mixing bowl along with the red onion, green onion, and fresh dill.
Make the creamy dressing. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, vinegar, garlic, and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and give it one final stir, then you’re ready to go!
How I Store & Make-Ahead
For storing in the fridge: This salad is definitely best enjoyed fresh while the cucumbers are at their crispiest. But leftovers will still keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 days. Just remember that the cucumbers will continue to release a little liquid over time, so the dressing may loosen slightly in the fridge. I usually just give everything a quick stir before serving again.
For prepping ahead: If I’m prepping this ahead for a get-together, I’ll often salt and drain the cucumbers first, then wait to toss everything with the dressing until closer to serving time. That helps keep the salad extra crisp and creamy.
What To Serve With This
The more I make this salad, the more I realize it naturally ends up next to all my favorite summer recipes. Here are a few ideas for you:
- Grilled mains: Think grilled salmon (with mango salsa), beef shish kabobs, chimichurri chicken, garlic grilled shrimp, or even grilled lamb chops. They all work!
- Burgers: I have three amazing summertime burger recipes for you, including turkey burgers, chicken burgers (with a Greek spin), and salmon burgers (coming soon!). Just pick your favorite protein.
- Slow cooker meats: As a fan of “set it and forget it” meals, I love my slow cooker recipes like juicy pulled pork and salsa verde chicken. The creamy cucumber salad is a delicious pairing.
More Simple Summer Salads
- Fruit Salad: Perfect potluck recipe!
- Greek Salad: Another fan favorite.
- Quinoa Salad: So easy with Mediterranean flair.
- Or browse through my list of summer salads!
If you try this creamy cucumber salad recipe, let me know how they turn out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re looking for more healthy food inspiration, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Equipment
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
For the creamy dressing
- ½ cup sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar, or lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Salt the cucumbers. Add the sliced cucumber to a colander and toss with the salt. Set the colander in your sink or on top of a plate, as the salt will pull liquid from the cucumbers. Let this sit for 20 minutes.
- Wash and drain. Rinse the cucumbers with cold water, making sure to remove most of the salt.
- Add ingredients to a bowl. Add the drained cucumber to a mixing bowl along with the red onion, green onion, and fresh dill.
- Make the creamy dressing. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, vinegar, garlic, and black pepper.
- Stir together. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and stir to combine.
Lisa’s Tips
- While my original cucumber salad has a smidge of honey for a sweetener, I don’t think it’s necessary in this creamy version. But of course, you can always add a little honey if you’d like it a bit sweeter.
- For storing in the fridge: This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will still keep well in an airtight container for about 2 days. Just remember that the cucumbers will continue to release a little liquid over time, so the dressing may loosen slightly in the fridge.
Nutrition
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How I Tested This Recipe
So many of you love my creamy cucumber shrimp salad that has a mix of mayo of sour cream. But I decided to lean into the tangier flavors of the sour cream on this one and omit the mayo. It’s also a simpler approach and a bit lighter calorie-wise.
But you could always swap half the sour cream for mayo or yogurt, if you like it extra creamy and thick. Point being, this recipe is quite flexible and adaptable. This version was just my personal favorite. 😊
