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creamy cucumber salad on a blue rectangular serving plate
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Creamy Cucumber Salad

The fresh dill-infused flavor of a cool creamy cucumber salad is the best way to dress up any meal on a warm summer day. It's super easy to make!
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword cold side dishes, cucumber recipes, cucumber salad recipes, summer side dishes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 6 hours
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 280kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 4 English cucumbers
  • 1 cup red onions thinly sliced
  • salt
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh dill chopped

Instructions

  • Place the sliced cucumbers (4) and red onions (1 cup) in a bowl. Toss with 1 ½ tablespoons salt until evenly coated. Transfer to a colander and place over a bowl.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to drain for 4 hours or overnight. Throw out the liquid that's accumulated in the bowl.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix together the mayonnaise (1 cup), sour cream 91 cup), vinegar (2 tablespoons), sugar (1/4 teaspoon), black pepper (1 ½ teaspoons), dill (1/2 cup), and 2 teaspoons salt until evenly combined.
  • Layout cucumbers in a single layer on a thick layer of paper towels then top them with a second layer of paper towels. Press lightly to remove any extra moisture. 
  • Add the cucumbers to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2-4 hours to allow flavors to marry. 
  • When ready to serve, taste for seasoning (I added 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and tossed). Best served cold. 

Notes

  1. Don’t skip the salt soak. Water follows salt (think “Osmosis“). Adding salt to cucumbers, zucchini, etc. will help dry them out. So don’t skip the salting of the cucumbers and onions! This step draws out moisture so that the veggies don’t release it into your creamy dressing and water it down, leaving you with a runny mess.
  2. English Cucumber – I prefer English cucumbers in this salad but use what you like. English cukes have thinner skin and smaller seeds which makes them slightly sweeter than other varieties. Plus, the flavor marries so well with the light and lively dressing. Simply scrumptious!!
  3. White Wine Vinegar – Also, just for the record. White wine vinegar is milder and less acidic than other kinds of vinegar. Try other kinds of vinegar like red wine vinegar, Note: (it may change the color of your dish, and it has a slightly stronger taste), rice, champagne, or cider vinegar. The acidity levels of these kinds of vinegar will vary, so adjust the amount accordingly.
  4. Dill – Sometimes dried dill works really well in recipes; in fact, I use it all the time. But NOT in this cucumber salad with dill recipe! Fresh dill makes a distinct difference in this recipe. The “rule of thumb” is to use 3 times the amount of fresh herbs than you would dried herbs, which of course have a concentrated flavor.
  5. Sugar substitute.  If you’re trying to cut down on added sugar, you can use your favorite artificial sweetener. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the container to determine the amount needed to mimic the sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 0.8mg