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Creamy cucumber salad is one of our favorite summer side dishes. The sour cream dressing and fresh dill are a perfect compliment to the crisp cucumbers.

It’s great for picnics and grilling – or simply using up the bounty of summer cukes! The prep work takes just a few minutes, and it can be made ahead.

Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe

Andrea Chesman notes in The Garden Fresh Vegetable Cookbook that this is a favorite salad of the American South. She also mentions that it is a Finnish favorite, known in Finland as kurkusalaatti.

(Our readers chimed in on Facebook at noted that it’s called Gurkensalat in German and Mizeria in Poland.)

I grew up with it on our summer table back on the farm, and at every summer church dinner.

See bottom of post for print friendly recipe.

Ingredients

Sliced cucumbers
salt
sour cream
vinegar
fresh dill
granulated sugar
black pepper

Variations

Add sliced red onion for extra color and flavor.
No fresh dill available? Substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill weed for each tablespoon of fresh dill weed.
Swap honey or non-caloric sweetener for the sugar.
Add a little garlic powder or change the dill out for mint or basil.
Use plain Greek yogurt, half and half or mayo in place of the sour cream.
Try lemon juice instead of vinegar, or different types of vinegar.

Directions

Thinly slice the cucumbers and toss with salt in a colander. Allow to drain for about 30 to 60 minutes.

To make the creamy dressing, mix together the sour cream, vinegar, dill, sugar, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Combine the cucumbers (and onions, if using) and sour cream dressing in a large bowl. Toss gently to coat the cucumbers with the dressing. Add extra salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Serve immediately, or hold up to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Stir well before serving and refrigerate any leftovers.

The salad will keep a few days in the refrigerator, but more water will separate from the cucumbers with longer storage.

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Which cucumbers are best for creamy cucumber salad?

English cucumbers, which have smaller seeds and thinner skin, are commonly used for salads. If you use a thin skinned variety, you can skip peeling if you like.

We also grow Japanese Suyo Long cucumbers, which are wonderful for fresh eating, Armenian “cucumbers”, and pickling cucumbers.

Armenian cucumbers aren’t really cucumbers at all, but a type of muskmelon. We like them best when they are around a foot long. The flavor is similar to regular cucumbers, and they are quite crunchy.

Pickling cucumbers tend to be short and blocky, with tougher skins. If you want to use large pickling cukes for creamy cucumber salad, peeling and removing the seeds is recommended.

To peel or not to peel your cucumbers?

Mom always raised pickling cucumbers, so we always peeled the cucumbers for creamy cucumber salad.

If you used thin skinned cucumbers, or don’t mind skins, there’s no need to peel. It’s a personal preference.

To Make Ahead

If you’d like to make your cucumber salad a day ahead, prep the cucumbers and red onion separately from the dressing.

On the morning you want to serve, drain off excess water and mix the cucumbers, onions and dressing.