Cucumber Sour Cream Salad is perfect for Summer! It doesn’t require any cooking, and it pairs well with sandwiches, burgers, and BBQ meats. If you are on the lookout for something unique but still tasty, this easy creamy cucumber salad should be on your list.
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The rich and bright flavors are so surprising because there are few ingredients, and they are very basic kitchen staples. I would go as far as to say that this is the best creamy cucumber salad recipe that I’ve ever made (and there are several others out there) because of its simplicity.
If you like creamy cucumber salad with dill recipes, you will love Creamy Dill Dip and Homemade Pickle Seasoning.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s balanced and refreshing: It’s a light and crispy salad that has richness, tanginess, and sweetness for the perfect bite.
- It’s great for summer: I love bringing this salad to BBQs and gatherings during the summer. It’s one of my favorite cold salads because it’s both simple and delicious.
- There’s minimal hands-on work: Besides some chopping and mixing, there’s not much more preparation involved to make this creamy cucumber salad with sour cream. There are so many tasty dishes with little to no work!
Ingredients
Below is everything you’ll need to make this cucumber onion sour cream salad. It’s just a few ingredients for the dressing, cucumbers, and red onions!
- Cucumbers: Ensure they are firm and washed thoroughly. I like English cucumbers because they have fewer seeds than regular ones, but you may use any kind that you want.
- Red onions: I prefer red onions, but yellow or white would work in a pinch.
- Sour cream: This adds a creamy texture and rich flavor to the white cucumber salad. A great substitute is Greek yogurt. It still adds creaminess like the sour cream.
- Cider vinegar: I enjoy the acidity of apple cider vinegar for this recipe. However, red wine or white wine vinegar are fabulous substitutions.
- Sugar: A little sweetness balances the tangy, acidic flavors from the other ingredients in the dressing. White granulated sugar will do!
- Fresh dill: This adds that classic “pickle flavor.” I love the freshness as well. It brightens up the salad perfectly.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Ranch: Instead of adding salt and pepper, add 1-2 teaspoons (your preference) of ranch seasoning to add a bold ranch flavor.
- Spicy: Add a dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to make the salad a little spicy.
- Garlic lemon: Include garlic powder and fresh lemon to give it some Mediterranean flair.
How to Make Creamy Cucumbers and Onions
Here are the instructions needed to make this creamy dill cucumber salad. There’s minimal hands-on work for this recipe!
Step 1: Prepare the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Then, dry them thoroughly with paper towels.
Step 2: Slice the veggies. Slice the cucumbers and onions into thin slices.
Step 3: Salt and drain. Place them into a strainer over a large bowl and toss with a teaspoon of salt.
Step 4: Add a bag of water. Use a large Ziploc bag filled with water to weigh it down. This allows more moisture to drain from the cucumbers and red onions. Stick it in the fridge for 1 to 3 hours.
Step 5: Make the dressing. Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl for the dressing.
Step 6: Mix the dressing. Whisk the creamy dressing, cover it, and pop it in the refrigerator while you wait for the veggies to drain.
Step 7: Prepare the salad. Pour the dressing and the cucumbers and onions into a large, clean serving bowl.
Step 8: Serve. Toss to coat the ingredients in the dressing and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Finally, garnish it with a little bit of fresh dill and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Chill before serving: This salad tastes amazing when it’s cold. Allow it plenty of time to chill in the fridge before you enjoy it for the best results.
- Don’t freeze it: I highly recommend not freezing leftovers of this salad. It completely changes the texture and flavor of the dressing as it thaws. Refrigerate it only for the best taste.
- Storage directions: Store this cucumber sour cream salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You may also tightly cover the serving bowl with plastic wrap.
If you love recipes like these creamy cucumbers and onions, you may also enjoy this Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad.
Serving Suggestions
- Make this cucumber sour cream salad as a fresh, tangy side to pair with herb crusted grilled salmon or margarita grilled chicken to create a balanced dinner.
- Serve it with a Bacon and Avocado Grilled Cheese for a quick lunch option.
- Toss it with leftover air fried baby potatoes for a unique potato salad creation.
- Learn how to make hot pepper sauce and add a few dashes to your creamy cucumber onion salad.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! If you like, you may make this recipe with ½ cup of mayo and ½ cup of sour cream. I don’t recommend using just mayo, as the tangy sour cream really makes the salad taste fabulous.
Sure, but I suggest that you let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but the longer you can let it marinate, the better it will be.
If you choose to keep the seeds, that can make the cucumber salad watery. Another way is skipping the step of salting the cucumbers and letting the moisture drain off them. It’s a crucial step to make the cucumbers as crisp and crunchy as possible.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Do you like easy salad recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section, I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Creamy Cucumber Onion Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- salt to taste
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ -⅓ cup fresh dill minced
Instructions
Prepare Cucumbers and Onions
- Peel cucumbers if desired. I usually use english cucumbers so I don't have to peel them.
- Slice your cucumbers in half lengthwise and using a spoon scrape the seeds and pulp from the cucumbers.
- Dry your cucumbers with paper towel along the freshly scooped center.
- Thinly slice your onions and thinly slice your cucumber. Make each cucumber slice around ¼ of an inch thick.
- In a strainer with a bowl underneath, toss your cucumber and onion slices with 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Fill a large resealable bag with water and place it on top of your cucumbers and onions. If you only have smaller sized resealable bags, use enough of them to cover the top of your bowl and weigh down your cucumber and onions. Store in the fridge 1-3 hours to allow excess water to drain into the bowl
- Drain off water and transfer cucumber and onions to medium bowl.
Creamy Dill Dressing
- Whisk sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and dill together in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- After whisking cover and refrigerate until needed. Allowing time for the flavors to come together and blend is important. You'll be glad you did this if time permits.
- Add dressing to the cucumbers and onion then toss to coat.
- Serve chilled and enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover creamy cucumbers and onions in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Allow the cucumbers and onions plenty of time to drain so your salad doesn’t become watery.
- Chill the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes after you make it for best results. You may enjoy it immediately, but it will taste better chilled first.
Rochelle Picetti says
Easy and delicious. Will definitely keep this in my repertoire of recipes.
Karin and Ken says
This salad is a personal favorite! You just made my day. All the best. Karin