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My Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe Brings All The Nostalgic Vibes
I’ve been loving this creamy cucumber salad since before I even liked most salads. My mom, both my grandmas, even my extended family made it. They all had their own versions, but the combination of crisp cucumbers with rich sour cream and bright dill was always there. And here’s why I’ve made my own version for the last 10-ish years:
- Cool, crunchy contrast of textures and flavors – The crispness of the cucumbers, the sharp bite of red onions, the herby dill, the creamy dressing. I may be biased because in my Eastern European culture we put sour cream on… pretty much everything (ha!) — but I seriously think the creamy herb dressing makes this cucumber dill salad.
- Fresh, simple ingredients – A couple fresh basics, a handful of pantry staples. If you want to get “fancy” (not really), throw in some radishes and turn it into my radish salad.
- Fast and easy – Just around 10 minutes. You can even make it ahead if you like.
- Versatile – This is certainly the ultimate summer dish, but my mom made it year round, and so do I. Grilling steaks or burgers for a cookout? Make this cucumber salad with sour cream. Need an easy holiday side? It was always on our table. Having a picnic or potluck? Bring it along. Regular weeknight? It’s here for you.
This salad is nostalgic for me, but not just me! So many readers have told me they have memories of creamy cucumber salad recipes, whether German, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, or even American. Maybe you grew up eating it, too? And even if you didn’t, make it with me and see why we all did!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my creamy cucumber salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Fresh Cucumbers – Fresh ones from the farmers’ market are hands down the best (they remind me of the fresh garden cucumbers from my grandma’s “dacha”), but of course store-bought work. I don’t peel them because I like the nutrients in the skin and extra crunch. See my tips below for more notes about the cukes.
- Onion – I like the sharpness (and secretly, the color contrast) of red onions here. Feel free to use a white, yellow, or sweet onion for milder sweetness.
- Sour Cream – The creamy base, and the only way I make it. But if you need alternatives, you can substitute mayo (with a splash of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for tang), or plain Greek yogurt, as I’ve done this in other salads.
- Fresh Dill – There’s nothing quite like fresh, aromatic dill in this creamy cucumber salad. If you need a substitute, my closest recommendation would be fresh chives, or maybe parsley. I really don’t recommend dried herbs here, but if you must, use only a teaspoon because they are more concentrated than fresh herbs.
- Olive Oil – I use this to thin out the dressing just a bit. Any neutral oil is fine.
- Lemon Juice – Although fresh lemons taste best, you can use bottled lemon juice or vinegar if you need to.
- Seasonings – I don’t often see this in cucumber dill salad, but I like garlic powder in mine. Feel free to skip it, but don’t skip the salt and pepper!
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How To Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, fresh dill, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Toss together. Add the sliced cucumbers and onions, and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate the mixture for half an hour to let flavors develop.
My Recipe Tips
- Persian cucumbers taste the best. I always get these mini cucumbers for their sweetness, tender skin, very few seeds, and easier chopping (just slice). The next best would be English cucumbers, though I recommend cutting those into half moons because they’re large. Avoid American cucumbers if you can — they have thick skin and are kind of tasteless, so they’ll make your creamy cucumber salad kind of tasteless, too.
- Thin slices have a better texture. This applies to the cucumbers too, but for the onions especially, thin half moons prevent them from overpowering everything else.
- For even thinner slices, use a mandoline slicer. I have this one and it makes slicing so fast.
- Drain the cucumbers in a colander if you’re making the salad ahead. I usually skip this when I’ll be serving it within 30 minutes, but draining makes the salad less watery if you don’t eat it right away. Simply place the cucumbers in a colander over the sink, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 15-30 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel, then proceed with my creamy cucumber salad recipe.
- Feel free to use 2 bowls if you prefer. I’m always looking for ways to have fewer dirty dishes, so I mix the dressing in my salad bowl first, then add the cucumbers and onions. You can totally whisk the dressing in a smaller bowl and pour it on top your salad for easier mixing, though.
- Have extra cucumbers to use up? Toss them into my quick cucumber soup!
- Want a lighter version without the creamy dressing? My cucumber onion salad is perfect for that.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
By
Make my easy, creamy cucumber salad recipe with sour cream, dill, lemon, and onions. It's crisp, refreshing, and ready in 10 minutes!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
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Stir in the sliced cucumbers and red onions.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best flavor and texture in your creamy cucumber salad, how to make it ahead, and more.
- Storage: Cover and store your creamy cucumber salad in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It does get watery over time and the cucumbers soften a bit, but in my opinion it’s still delicious.
- Meal prep: Although you can whip up the salad in advance and store it, for meal prep I prefer to keep the sliced cucumbers and onions separately from the dressing. Just toss together right before serving.
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
Serving Ideas
I make this creamy cucumber salad for literally any occasion, from cookouts and potlucks to weeknights and holidays. So, what it goes with has just as much variety:
- Grilled Dishes – This salad goes with virtually any of my healthy grilling recipes! Everyone seems to love it with juicy burgers or grilled chicken breast, but my personal faves are chicken kabobs and grilled salmon.
- Chicken – Keep weeknights simple with my crispy air fryer chicken wings, chicken leg quarters, or cast iron chicken thighs. If you want something more interesting, try my spinach stuffed chicken (more creaminess alert!) or garlic butter chicken bites.
- Beef – Even though it’s not a classic side, I think my creamy cucumber salad tastes refreshing with a sirloin steak, filet mignon, or New York strip. For comfort food inspired by the same region, try my stuffed cabbage rolls.
- Pork Or Lamb – If my cucumber salad with sour cream brings back nostalgic vibes for you, chances are my kielbasa and sauerkraut might do the same. Otherwise, just throw together some quick seared pork chops or lamb shoulder chops.
More Cucumber Salad Recipes
If you like this cucumber dill salad, change it up next time with one of my others starring this crisp vegetable:
200 Comments
Sabrina
0Very quick and tasty. Added bonus – fresh dill smells divine!
Dana
0I love this recipe. It’s great. Since I really don’t like salad dressing at all, I use this recipe for tossed, and Caesar salads as a substitute as well.
Bre
0Delicious! Made exactly as written. I do not soak the cucumbers in salt to remove water, but make a tiny bit more dressing than salad, I mix a little bit of the dressing into the cucumbers and onion, let set for awhile and drain. It does pull excess water from the cucumbers. Then add the rest of the dressing.
Jen
0I just happened to have cucumber and red onion left over from other meals that I didn’t want to go to waste so I searched up this recipe. I had to use what was in the house, so I used dried dill, and vinegar instead of lemon juice, and added 1 tsp sugar… to get that nostalgic family recipe flavor 😉 It is so good! Will be a perfect lunch side for this week! Thanks for the recipe!
MBury
0Was looking for this recipe and I had all the ingredients. Haven’t made it in years, letting it marinate overnight before the big taste test. As for now, super easy and economical.
Arr
0This was so simple to make, and delicious! I made it with a pairing of seared salmon! My housemates loved it!
H. Idris
0They are amazing!!! Paired well with chicken curry Thanks a bunch for the great and easy recipe
Debra
0This Cucumber Salad was delicious. I had to use dried dill weed, I’ll make it with fresh next time. This will be a favorite “go to’ recipe.
Nori
0Made this last night as just a great snack side!! And I’ll have to tell you…. it’s amazing! Easy and fast to make. I shared with my Mom and daughter and they both loved it!! Thank you for sharing the recipe
Tammy
0Hi love the recipe. I’m new to keto. And thought onions were not keto friendly. help …lol
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tammy, Onions are acceptable on keto, but you’ll want to stay away from sweet onions.
Alex Coyle
0This dressing recipe is the tastiest I’ve had in any cucumber salad! Definitely five stars for this recipe!
Joan Hornung
0Hi Maya. I just found you today, looking for a better way to cook hard boiled eggs! My husband and I are trying to slowly change our foods as we are both starting with some health issues. The eggs are great for him for a smack or a quick breakfast but we have been totally frustrated with the peeling! (sometimes lost a big part of the egg!)
I just tried your technique and wow – much better! Looking at this recipe and some others I am so excited. We live in Florida and need some nice cool HYDRATING type salads for sure. I have been dehydrated several times since moving here from up North – it is NO fun…sickening. I’m looking forward to trying much more. Thank you for your work and help. It IS MUCH appreciated.
Rita Bradley
0one of the best cucumber salads I’ve tasted and very easy to make. I also modified part of the salad by adding chopped avacado and shrimp. Great dinner to enjoy without cooking.
Shoba
0I love cucumbers, Can I add yogurt instead of sour cream ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shoba, Yogurt is higher in carbs, but the recipe will work fine using yogurt in place of sour cream.
Cherie
0I had a surplus of cucumbers from my garden and I need to discover ways to use them up. What a great recipe. I will make it again and again! Very yummy!
Lisa A
0Very easy to make. Great flavor. Cool and refreshing salad. Great recipe for our low carb lifestyle. Thanks for the recipe for our new favorite summer salad.
nic
0I like it as a base I add a teaspoon of white wine vinegar and a teaspoon a sugar thanks for the recipe.
Judy
0Delicious! Nice and light. We really enjoyed it. I made 1/3 of the recipe, by using 1 long cucumber. I think that using a mandoline made it so much nicer. I also salted the cucumbers so that some of the liquid drained out. I didn’t want to lose any of the flavor! So now I have a lot more fresh dill left. Any suggestions on how to make use of it? Thanks so much, Maya! Another winner.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Judy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I have a few other recipes with fresh dill including, Tzatziki Sauce, Salmon Stuffed Cucumbers, Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad, and Salmon Cucumber Bites.
Diane
0This is a great way to handle “too many” cucumbers! Your recipe was yummy, but I did bump up the lemon, olive oil, dill, salt, and garlic. I guess I just need a little more flavor, but of course you do say to adjust to taste. I also added some chopped fresh tomatoes. I love the added color and mix of flavors!
Erika
0Thanks for a tasty, nutritious recipe! I went a little heavier on the lemon and garlic powder but it would have been perfect just the way you suggested, too! Great way to use dill and cucumber in my garden. Thank you!