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This creamy cucumber salad is light, refreshing, and oh so creamy! Tangy sour cream, a splash of red wine vinegar, fresh dill, garlic, and red onions make this cucumber salad irresistible.
Summertime is the perfect time for picnics and outdoor barbecues. And what better way to celebrate the warm weather than with a delicious cucumber salad? This recipe is easy to make and takes only five minutes to prepare. It’s perfect for potlucks, parties, or any other summer gathering. So gather your ingredients, and let’s get started!
why you’ll love this cucumber salad with sour cream
- Tart and refreshing. The combination of sour cream, vinegar, and dill gives this cucumber salad a tangy flavor that is perfectly balanced by the neutral flavor of the cucumber and red onions.
- Easy to make. This recipe comes together quickly and doesn’t require any cooking. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and you’re done!
- Crowd pleaser. This salad is always a hit at potlucks and parties. Whether you’re serving it to family, friends, or strangers, everyone will love it!
- Can be eaten as a snack. This salad is light and refreshing, making it the perfect snack or side dish. It’s also a great way to get your daily dose of veggies!
Ingredients to make creamy cucumber and onion salad
- Cucumbers: I like to use English cucumbers because they’re thinner and have fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. However, you can use whatever type of cucumber you have on hand, like Persian cucumbers.
- Red onions: I prefer to use red onions in this salad because they’re slightly sweeter than white or yellow onions. However, you can use whatever type of onion you have on hand.
- Sour cream: You’ll need about ½ cup of sour cream for this recipe. I like to use full-fat sour cream, but you can use light or non-fat if you’re watching your calories.
- Dill: Fresh dill is best, but you can also use dried dill if that’s all you have.
- Red wine vinegar: Adds another layer of flavor to the salad.
- Seasoning: A little bit of sugar to balance the acidity, garlic powder, salt, and pepper is all you need to season this cucumber salad.
How to make A Creamy Cucumber Salad
- In a medium bowl, add the sour cream, vinegar, dill, sugar, and garlic powder.
- Mix until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the sliced cucumbers and red onions on top of the sour cream dressing.
- Gently fold the sour cream and cucumbers together until well combined.
Tips for making creamy cucumber dill salad
- Thinly slice your cucumbers and onions. To get even slices, I recommend using a mandoline or even a vegetable peeler. If you don’t have one, you can also use a sharp knife.
- Use fresh dill. Fresh dill has a much better flavor than dried dill. If you can’t find fresh dill, you can use dried, but you’ll need to use less since it’s more potent.
- Taste as you go. Be sure to taste the salad before serving and adjust the seasoning as necessary. You may want to add more salt, pepper, or vinegar, depending on your preferences.
- Serve immediately. This salad is best served immediately after it’s made. If you let it sit for too long, the cucumbers will release water and make the salad soggy.
popular substitutions & additions
- Use mayo or greek yogurt instead of sour cream. If you’re not a fan of sour cream, you can use mayonnaise or even greek yogurt instead. I recommend using ½ cup of either for this recipe.
- Make it vegan. If you prefer not to use any dairy in this recipe, you can make this with plain unsweetened coconut yogurt or almond yogurt.
- Add in some chopped herbs. If you want to add more flavor to the salad, try adding in some chopped fresh herbs like parsley or chives.
- Make it spicier with a pinch of cayenne. For a little bit of heat, try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to the salad.
- Add in some diced avocado. Avocado is a great addition to this salad because it adds creaminess and healthy fats.
what to serve with your easy creamy cucumber salad
- Grilled Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Grilled Harissa Chicken
- Shish Tawook
how to store cucumber salad with sour cream
Cucumber salad is best served immediately after it’s made. The cucumbers will start to leech water shortly after the salad is made.
how long will cucumber salad last in the fridge?
If you do have leftovers you want to store, they will last about 24-48 hours in the fridge. You can drain off the excess liquid or mix it in.
Frequently asked questions
I would not recommend making cucumber salad more than an hour in advance as the cucumbers will start to release water, and the salad will become soggy.
Cucumbers are around 90% water making it near impossible to keep them from getting watery. You can sprinkle some salt directly on your cut cucumbers and place them in a colander for 30 or so minutes to help draw out some of the water.
Nope! You can leave the cucumbers unpeeled if you’d like. I personally prefer to leave them unpeeled because it saves time, and I like the look of the green peel in the salad. Plus, the skin is full of nutrients.
Creamy cucumber salad is a quick and easy side dish that’s perfect for summer BBQs, potlucks, and picnics. This salad is made with thin slices of cucumber, red onion, sour cream, dill, and a few simple seasonings. Whether you’re looking for a healthy side dish or a simple summer salad, this creamy cucumber salad is the perfect recipe for you!
More Salad recipes:
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Tropical Fruit Salad
- Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad
- Tomato Avocado Cucumber Salad
- Avocado Mango Salad
If you try this feel good Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large English cucumbers thinly sliced
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, vinegar, dill sugar, and garlic powder until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the sliced cucumbers and red onions on top of the sour cream dressing and stir to coat.
- Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for one hour before serving.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Made this for dinner for some guests. Literally taste so good and it’s exactly like the recipe!!!
Yay! So happy you liked how it turned out!! Thanks, Gloria!
This was perfect. Thank you.
Thanks!! So glad you liked it!
I made this tonight as I had been seeing all these viral cucumber salads but they either had salmon or just didn’t scream YUM to me. Although I love salmon and may try it in another cucumber salad, I just kinda wanted something refreshing to snack on that really focused on the cucumber, onion, dill, and sour cream. I’m telling you, this is IT and it’s EFFORTLESS! I am now eating more at 2:18 😂 and I am loving the way the flavors have married together even more from sitting in the fridge half the night!!! This is really super yummy but also so light and refreshing, I will be making this a staple in my household. Thank you so much for sharing! All I did differently was use regular ACV since it’s all I had handy and I used a pinch more garlic powder but definitely delicious!!
Aww, thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear you love it, Jessica!!
I recommend soaking the sliced red onion in cold water for at least 15 minutes before adding to the salad. This will take away some of the bitterness of the onion so it is not so overwhelming.
Great tip! Thanks so much for sharing, Barbara!!
I salted the cucumbers for 15 minutes and patted dry with a paper towel. Then I squeezed out most of the liquid in a dish towel. This made for a creamy salad.
Yay, I’m so glad that trick worked for you! Thanks for sharing, Sheila!
I enjoyed this so much it tastes like the vintage sweet and tangy cucumber salad recipe of my childhood, I loved it! Thank you for sharing.
Aww, that makes me so happy! Thanks, Rachelle!
Yes Barbara!!! I am almost 35 but I vividly remember my great aunt (God rest her soul now) was a member of the Methodist Church and she made this so much for bazaars, covered dishes, and family gatherings as well!! Being southern I think we all grew up on a good cucumber salad of some sort. These kids these days act like they’ve founded everything we have already known about for 30 plus years! Haha take care, God bless you
Is there a print tab on your recipes? I can’t find any and don’t want to print pages and pages in order to get the recipe.
Yes, there is! If you scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post (above the comments) and hover over the photo of the creamy cucumber salad, there should be a button with a printer icon. Click on it to get a printer-friendly version. Hope that helps!
I watched your video – where can I get the vegetable peeler you used to slice the red onion? Or the brand and name? Thank you so much, Linda
So sorry, my video team filmed that one and it looks similar to this (https://amzn.to/3VISwTY) but this is the one that I actually use (https://amzn.to/3JPBexR).
Lovely jubbly
So happy you liked it!
I’ve made this so many times, got the recipe in an old church cookbook that was from a Lebanese catholic book. Really refreshing salad. Almost identical version. Thanks
Wow, how cool that you found a similar recipe in an old Lebanese cookbook! So glad you liked my version too. Thanks, Roz!!
It would be nice to have a printer friendly version where you don’t have to print 10 pages ads for a 1 page recipe…… just saying
Hi Bev, there actually is a printer-friendly version. On the top righthand corner of the recipe card, there’s a little printer button over the photo of the cucumber salad. You can click on that button to print the recipe by itself. Hope that helps!
This recipe I just made for the first time.
My family and I loved it. There wasn’t any leftovers.
Thank you so much, Connie! So happy to hear that!
I’m making this for a party of 50 people can you give me a better idea of measurements for that many please
Wow, how fun! I would probably make the recipe as written, times 10. You may want to keep the dressing and prepared cucumbers separate and toss them together right before the party starts to preserve the texture.
Can I spread the cucumber slices out and let them drain for a little while to let some of the water out of them?
Yes, some others have tried this by sprinkling the cucumbers with a little salt and letting them sweat in a strainer for about 30 minutes.
If you “sweat” the cucumbers after slicing, put them in a strainer over a bowl or in the sink, and sprinkle with a light coating of salt let them sit at least 30-60 mins, it removes enough of the water from them that the salad won’t be overly watery the next day.
Great tip, Karmel!
I have always been told to soak the cukes first in salt water so they aren’t so hard. I guess it’s preference. Both work. I cannot wait to eat them tonight. Soaking mine right now for a homecoming dinner get together with other parents.
Recipe is 5/5 star. Paid ad and app download to print is a miserable 0/5. Needs to be posted/hosted on a different site.
So sorry you had difficulty printing the recipe, thank you for the feedback.
Absolutely love this cucumber salad. It is refreshing, it is light. Im absolutely in love with it!
So happy to hear that!!
What are your thoghts about addind a little mayo to this reciepe ?
You can try it! I would cut the sour cream some if you add the mayo. I’ve never made it with mayo personally, so I am not sure how the flavor would turn out. Hope you enjoy!
Just made this! My mother in law use to make & I couldn’t find the recipe & I found yours! I didn’t have fresh dill the caterpillars just ate it up! I used dry scant 1/2 tsp. Delicious!
Oh no, caterpillars are quick! So glad you enjoyed it!
I wish that you and other posters would also include the equivalent of dry herbs. I really don’t want to spend five bucks on a fresh herb for 1 tablespoon. (The rest would surely go to waste, I don’t cook frequently- or creatively).
Hi Laura, I understand your frustration, but dry and fresh herbs do vary in quantity quite a bit as far as flavor goes and since I did not test this recipe with dry herbs I am not comfortable putting an exact amount.
To sub fresh herbs with dry – A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs. I like used 1/2 tsp, then you can add more if you like. I used 1/2 tsp for this & I think it is enough. I just made so need to let it marinate a little.
Amazing recipe! This is one of my daughter’s absolute favorites, which she asks for specifically and often, lol. Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome! I am so honored that she loves it so much!
This almost made me cry when I saw this. This recipe was a summertime favorite of my late father’s. He would whip this up when I was younger, and we would eat it all the time. Thank you so much for bringing bittersweet summertime memories to me.
Aw, I am so sorry to hear about your father and honored that this recipe brings happy memories to the forefront for you!
You can “sweat” the sliced cucumbers ahead of time by sprinkling them with a little salt and letting them rest in the refrigerator for an hour. Drain off the water. This will significantly reduce the amount the salad will will get watery and soft.
Hi Jem! For sure, I usually do about 30 minutes in a colander.
Wow! This salad is super easy yet so rewarding. I make it all the time now. So happy I found it! I was looking for easy lunch ideas and this is my personal favorite. 5 out of 5 would recomend!
Thank you so much, Elisabeth!
So happy to have stumbled upon this recipe! Absolutely delicious!!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it, Denise!
Absolutely love this salad! It’s like tzatziki but make it a dressing 🤍 I tweaked it and used plain Greek yogurt to add more protein. It was a little more tangy than when I used sour cream, but still so delicious!! 😋
Thank you so much! Yes!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
if you use dried dill-how much?
I would do 1 teaspoon and then you can adjust as needed.
LOVE this salad. It was easy to make and it’s so refreshing. The perfect summer salad!
Thank you! It really is!
If you wanted to chill it and serve cold, couldn’t you lightly salt the cucumbers and put them in a strainer to get the water out beforehand?
You can, but I would definitely eat this the day of making!
I made your cucumber salad for a big family BBQ yesterday. Everybody loved it! Thanks for the inspiration….you made me look good 😂👍
That’s amazing! Aww, you’re welcome!
This cucumber salad was soooo delicious! I saw it on your Instagram page and knew that I had to make it. It was super easy to make and I will definitely be making it again! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much! Glad you decided to give it a go!
Quick & easy refreshing summer recipe, definitely will be making it again. I’ve never used fresh dill before it’s for sure a game changer!
Thank you! The dill is definitely key!
Just made this and it’s so delicious!!! Just added radishes as well and opted for green onions instead of red. Love how versatile this salad is. Thank you
That makes me so happy to hear! I love the sound of that!
This is a really delicious creamy cucumber dill salad, that comes together quickly and easily. I absolutely love this type of salad, and this is the best recipe I have tried yet! This is perfect for using all of those cucumbers fresh out of the garden during the summer.
Thank you so much! It really is!
Yum! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for a cold summer salad/side.
That is perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
What can I use instead of red wine vinegar?
Lemon juice!
Creamy cucumber salad was so good. Made it within 10 minutes, easy peasy! 😋
Thank you so much! That’s perfect!
This salad was the perfect addition to our grill dinner of chicken kebabs. It was easy to make and tasted delicious. Thanks for sharing a simple summer salad recipe I can use to change up from the regular garden salad.
That’s amazing! I’m glad to hear it. You’re so welcome!
This is amazing! Perfect for summer! I just had my lunch with a big bowl of this salad.
Thank you! That sounds perfect!
Love this salad!
I added tomatoes and avocado to it, and it was so delicious. This is a must salad in the summer. Such an easy side dish!
Thank you! That sounds perfect. Yay!!
This recipe was very refreshing! Just made this for a Father’s Day gathering and it was a hit. Thank you!
That’s great to hear! You’re so welcome!
I made this recipe and it is life changing!! It is the perfect side for any summer meal and is so refreshing! I cannot wait to make this again for my next family get together, I know everyone will be asking me for the recipe!
Wow! Thank you!! Hope everyone enjoys!
My family has made this for years but has always layered the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkling the layers lightly with salt as you go. Let sit 30-60 minutes to draw some of the water out of the slices. Use as is or rinse salt off and pat slices dry. This will help with the weeping.
That sounds delicious! I should give that a try!
Absolutely DELICIOUS!
Super quick to make. Crunchy, creamy, light, refreshing and flavorful. So perfect for summertime. I will definitely be making it often. Thanks for another yummy, easy, “cheap” and wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much! That’s perfect. You are so welcome!!
This recipe was perfect for the English cucumbers from our garden. So easy and delicious! This will be on repeat this summer.
Yay! Thank you so much!
My mom has been making this my whole life and is not a write down recipe type of lady. I’m so glad you posted this because I haven’t been able to perfect it yet and I did today!!
So glad you got to make it and enjoyed!
My husband and I made the creamy cucumber salad tonight with our dinner. Such a great easy dish to make in the summer. “So good”💕
That’s perfect! Yay!
This is so delicious, I did make it and my whole family loved it, it’s the best side dish or Lunch during summer time .😋😍
Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear that the entire family loved it!
Just made this tonight. This is delicious and perfect for the summer. Will be a staple in our house!
I love that! Glad you gave it a try and enjoyed!
I wil do it
Hope you enjoy!
So delicious ! So creamy and sooo yummy. Has become our favorite!
Thank you so much! I love that!
Delicious! We typically make potato salad to accompany grilled burgers. This time we opted for the cucumber salad and are so glad we did! Yum!
Thank you! Such a great way to switch it up!
This 5 minute creamy cucumber salad was refreshing and a welcomed change to our usual BBQ side dishes. Super easy to make and the ingredients are what you would have on hand. I really enjoy seeing new recipes weekly by Yumna and trying them out. This will definitely be on our summer list of sides.
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to continue sharing more recipes. Hope you continue to enjoy this one!
I love yummy recipes that I can make with things I have on hand. It was simple but had layers of flavor. No leftovers here. Thank you for this refreshing recipe.
I’m glad this recipe is just that! You’re welcome!!
This is exactly what I needed to complete my barbecue. Everyone loved it! Will be making again soon.
That’s amazing! Yay!!
I love cucumber salad, especially during summer. I made this recipe and liked it but wasn’t blown away so I made it again and swapped the sour cream for Greek yogurt and omitted the optional sugar. That was a game changer for me. I loved it! My mother preferred the sour cream version, lol. Either way it’s cool and refreshing. Perfect for hot weather. As a side note, the Greek yogurt version kept ok in the fridge for about 2 days.
It’s so refreshing! I need to try it that way now!
Less effort more taste!!! This is definitely a feel good food!!! Thank you, Yumna! It’s sure to be on our table all summer!
That’s exactly what I was going for! You’re so welcome!
Quick, delicious, and refreshing! The perfect recipe for summer 😋
Thank you so much! It’s definitely going to be on repeat all summer long!
This salad was quick to put together for a fast lunch for my family. I had a cucumber and a shallot that needed to be used quickly, and plenty of dill ready to be picked in my garden. Thank you for this refreshing recipe.
I’m so glad to hear it! Glad you enjoyed!
I love this cucumber salad, as I make it and stuff it in some pits bread for a quick yet refreshing lunch. Great on its own as well. I however do add lots of red chilli flakes to mine because I love everything spicy!! Great recipe to have on hand.
Such a delicious way to enjoy it! The chili flakes sound like a great idea!
My mother and husband loved this cucumber recipe!
It tasted just like my mother’s German version. My husband dislikes sour cream but didn’t even taste it in this recipe. I served it with rice and baked Salmon! I love your website, you are very talented!
That makes me so happy to hear! Yay! Thank you so much.
I just made a triple recipe and OMG!!! It’s DELICIOUS! My 11 yr old daughter has already had two servings. It’s light, cool & sooo yummy…perfect for these 100+ degree days! Everyone needs to try it!
That’s amazing! So glad it hit the spot!
As usual, not disappointed! Love this salad!!! Will definitely be making it again!
That’s amazing! Yay!!
Yummy, I loved the flavor combination. I skipped the sugar and it was still really tasty. I paired it with some falafel and my family loved it!
Thank you so much! That sounds wonderful.
Creamy, flavorful and refreshing for summer! I also made this without fresh dill but you must! Husband, toddler and mom approved. Easy to whip up and great for summer picnics or quick easy dinners!
Thank you so much! Glad everyone enjoyed. Yay!!
This is great. My mom used to make a similar one and I loved it. Thank you for this!
Thank you! That’s amazing!
We paired this with Pulau Indian Spicy Rice and it was a perfect pairing. The coolness of the cucumbers softened the heat of the rice! Delicious 🤤
Love the sound of those two together! Yum!!
I made this today and the only difference was that I added a bit of fresh chopped spinach to it. My family loved it, another cool way to eat our vegetables! My pic is on Instagram under @redstickrick
That sounds like a delicious addition! It looked amazing. Thank you for sharing!
I found you on Instagram and decided to make this salad as a side dish for burgers on the grill. I dried the cuke slices before tossing them in the dressing – this is SO GOOD!! Thanks for the great recipe. ❤️
That is perfect! You’re so welcome!
This is a great refreshing salad. It was enjoyed by all family members.
Thank you so much! That’s amazing!
So good – crisp and refreshing. Perfect for summer!
Exactly what I was going for! Yay!
Such delicious recipe! I made it for lunch for our family and paired it with chicken and rice ! Thank you for such an easy and delicious creamy cucumber salad!
Thank you so much! Such a great way to enjoy it.
Love this salad! Super simple & easy. Also kid friendly!
Thank you! It definitely is!
Looks fantastic and so refreshing, very suitable for this season. Would definitely give it a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much! Can’t wait for you to try it!
I dont use alcohol so instead of red wine wht shld be used
If you prefer not to use it, try lemon juice instead!
This will be fabulous for summer snacking
It definitely will be!
We used to always do this here in Lebanon but there was always something missing.sent this to my mom we paired with some burghul,
and it’s just the one.❤️😊
That’s perfect! Yay!
I make this almost weekly! I’ve used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream when I’m out of sour cream. Love the dill too!
I love that! This recipe is definitely flexible in that way.