Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe (2024)

Fresh and tangy Creamy Cucumber Salad is super easy to make with cucumbers and onion in a creamy, zesty dressing with fresh dill.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Cool and refreshing Creamy Cucumber Salad is super easy to make and perfect for warm weather brunches, holidays, picnics, and barbecues.

This chilled salad features sliced crisp cucumbers and onions in a creamy, tangy dressing with fresh dill. It's an unbelievably delicious summer staple that you'll make all season long!

What Kind of Cucumber Should I Use?

For this recipe, I like to use English cucumbers. They're generally long and thin with small seeds and thin skin, and gentle slightly sweet flavor. This means that the salad won't be too runny, and there's no need to peel the cucumbers.

However, you can use any cucumber you'd like. I recommend using a small to medium cucumber, as the larger ones are more watery and have larger, unpleasant seeds.

Do I Need to Peel the Cucumbers?

No, you don't need to, but you can if you'd like. I never do.

Do I Need to Remove the Center Seeds from the Cucumber?

Mostly no. However, it depends on the type and size of the cucumber. If you're using a very large, fat cucumber, there are likely more and larger seeds, which will make the salad more runny. You can remove the seeds with a spoon before slicing and adding the cucumber to the salad.

Can I Skip the Salting Step?

Yes, you can, but your salad will be runnier.

How to Make Your Onions Less Potent

If you love onions, but hate when they're too strong, this trick is for you. Soaking and rinsing your raw onions in water before using removes the the sulfur compounds that are responsible for that classic onion bite and aftertaste.

For this recipe, we included the onions with the cucumber during the salting and rinsing process so that they would be slightly more mild. With this soaking and rinsing, the onions will have a much gentler flavor, so you can enjoy them without the intense bite.

Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe Variations

• Greek yogurt - Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It's lighter and has a tangy, fresh flavor.
• Red onion - White onion can also be used in this recipe, and sweet or Vidalia onions are delicious as well.
• Olive oil - Instead of mayo, use a high quality extra virgin olive oil for an extra rich, slightly fruity flavor. My favorite brands are Garcia de la Cruz and Brightland.
• Vinegar - I love red wine vinegar in this recipe, but you can use any vinegar, including white, white wine, or apple cider vinegar.
• Lemon juice - Instead of vinegar, lemon juice will add a fresh and slightly sweet flavor.
• Veggies - Add shredded radishes, carrots, or halved grape or cherry tomatoes for some extra freshness.
• Herbs - Adding more fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, chives, mint, or basil will change the flavor profile and add some extra freshness.
• Cheese - Sprinkle some crumbled feta or goat cheese on top just before serving for some extra rich, creaminess.

Make Ahead and Storage Directions

Creamy cucumber salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance. If you need to make it earlier than that, you can prep the dressing up to 4 days in advance, and then prepare and combine the remaining ingredients up to 24 hours in advance.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The longer the cucumber sits in the dressing, the less crispy it will become.

More Fresh Picnic Salad Recipes You'll Love

• Summer Slaw - a creamy slaw with cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions that's full of fresh summer vegetables and flavor.
• Mexican Street Corn Salad - this fun, fresh twist on elote features sweet corn with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a tangy lime dressing with lots of tajin and cotija cheese.
• Homemade Fruit Salad - a super simple fruit salad that's fresh, sweet, and ridiculously easy to make.
• Pizza Pasta Salad - our family favorite pasta salad filled with lots of fresh veggies and all of your favorite pizza toppings including pepperoni and cheese.
• Jicama Slaw - a slightly sweet slaw with jicama, cilantro, and cabbage with a spicy-sweet dressing.

Creamy Cucumber Salad Video