Published on 06/26/23

Our Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe is a fan favorite over here at The Wooden Skillet. We love how the fresh veggies pair perfectly with the creamy sauce and fresh herbs, making this a refreshing salad on a hot summer day.

Creamy cucumber salad in a bowl topped with fresh chopped dill.

The Best Cucumber Salad

Whip up this simple sour cream cucumber salad to accompany your favorite summer meal of pulled pork sandwiches, brats, or burgers. Each bite has the perfect amount of crunch paired with creaminess that will have you and your guests reaching over the picnic table for seconds. It truly is the perfect summer recipe that can be served as an easy side dish or if you’re really loving it, a meal for one. Don’t worry. We don’t tell.

What You Will Need

English cucumber – The perfect cucumber variety that will keep your salad from getting soggy. This is a pretty large variety of cucumber, measuring about 12 inches long compared to Persian cucumbers, which are only about 5-6 inches long.
kosher salt & ground black pepper – A small amount goes a long way to enhance all of the flavors.
sour cream – A light creaminess with a bit of tang throughout.
mayo – A staple condiment that brings tang and creaminess. Check out our Whole30 recipe to make your own mayonnaise. Or the grocery store variety will work great too.
white vinegar – Its mild sour flavor is cut with the creamy sauce throughout this side dish.
fresh dill – An herb with a slightly citrus flavor.
fresh parsley – A clean tasting herb.
lemon juice & zest – Adds a refreshing and bright citrus flavor.
garlic – Just a bit is needed to add a kick of spiciness and nutiness.
red onion – Adds a nice crunch and its bold flavor pairs perfectly with the mild cream sauce.

How To Make A Creamy Cucumber Salad

Start by assembling and measuring all of your ingredients.

Creamy cucumber salad ingredients, each in their own bowl; mayonnaise, red onion, garlic, dill, sour cream, white vinegar, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, ground black pepper, and salt.

To keep your salad from getting soggy, be sure to place your sliced and cut English cucumbers into a colander with a plate underneath and sprinkle them with some salt in order to draw out excess water. Let the cucumbers sit for 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally, and pat dry.

Sliced and halved english cucumber in a colander being patted dry with a clean paper towel.

While your cucumbers are getting prepped, get your simple creamy dressing ready. Mix together the sour cream, mayo, white vinegar, dill, parsley, lemon juice and zest, garlic, pepper and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.

Sour cream, mayo, white vinegar, dill, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, pepper and pinch of salt in a large bowl.

Next, add the cucumber slices and onion slices to the sour cream mixture.

Cucumbers and red onion added to the sour cream mixture in the same large bowl.

Lastly, toss all of the ingredients together so that all of the onions and cucumbers are coated in the creamy sour cream mixture.

All of the cream cucumber salad ingredients tossed together in the large bowl.

Now give this perfect side dish a taste and add additional herbs and seasonings to your liking.

A close up of the creamy cucumber salad in the bowl topped with freshly chopped dill.

How Long Does Creamy Cucumber Salad Last In The Fridge

This delicious side dish will last between 3-4 days in your refrigerator. Just make sure that you store it in an airtight container.

A bowl of creamy cucumber salad in a bowl with a spoon inserted into it.

Recipe FAQs

Make ahead: Feel free to make this side dish a day in advance and store in the fridge. We promise that it’ll still be crunchy and delicious at serving time.
Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free sour cream to make this recipe dairy-free.

Pinterest image showing creamy cucumber salad with the title "cool + creamy cucumber salad" written across the image.

Made this cucumber recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!

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