You can never have too many salad recipes, and this Easy Cucumber Salad is quick, delicious and the perfect side for meat or fish.
Cucumbers, pickled red onions, and a creamy sour cream and dill dressing. Crunchy, refreshing, and the perfect side to any bbq meal.
Not only does this salad tickle your taste buds, but cucumbers are also packed with nutrition. Low in calories, high in hydration, they contain essential vitamins and minerals too. Perfect on their own as a snack, or in lots of great recipes.
- Smoked salmon salad with cucumber noodles is one of our favourite summer meals.
- Stuffed cucumbers make a great appetizer for any party.
- They are a great addition to this refreshing snap pea salad.
- This bagel sandwich is a must-try if you are a fan of cucumber tea sandwiches.
Salads are a stable, especially in the summer. I love the crunch of the raw vegetables. So crisp and refreshing. Cauliflower coleslaw is one of our favourites.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this old-fashioned creamy cucumber and onion salad can be found at the bottom of this post.
Easy Cucumber Salad Ingredients
Easy to find ingredients, perfect for making this delicious creamy cucumber recipe.
- fresh cucumbers
- sour cream
- dried dill
- pickled onions
- salt
Be sure to check out the recipe tips below.
Preparing Cucumber Onion Salad
Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Wash and cut the cucumbers.
- Place in a mesh sieve, sprinkle with salt, and allow to sit. See recipe tips for more info.
- Mix the sour cream and dill dressing in a bowl and set aside.
- Rinse and squeeze dry cucumbers in paper towels or kitchen towel.
- Add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add in the pickled onions.
- Add the sour cream and dill dressing.
- Toss and serve.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Fresh cucumbers are the star of the show. With so many varieties, pick your favourite.
The cucumbers can be peeled (or not), cut in circles or chunks. Seeded by removing the pulp (or not), and some people like to sprinkle salt over the cucumber slices/pieces and let them drain (sweat) for a few minutes to release excess moisture.
Sour cream and cucumbers are a match for sure. I like to use the full-fat version. You can choose low-fat sour cream if you prefer. A great alternative is Greek yogurt.
Dill is such a wonderful herb. I love growing it during the summer in the garden. I used dried dill in this creamy dill dressing. Fresh dill is a great alternative. Adjust the amount according to your preference.
Red onions are so great in salads. I used my homemade pickled onions in this recipe. Feel free to use raw red onions, or sweet white onions like Vidalia. Green onions are always a great alternative.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. This cucumber salad will last for a day or two. It may become a little watery the longer it is kept.
This cucumber pickled onion salad with sour cream and dill dressing is sure to be a hit. Cool and crunchy, easy to prepare refreshing side dish perfect for summer.
Serve it with: zucchini burgers, grilled chicken skewers, or kofta kebabs.
Cucumber and Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ cup pickled onions
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash and slice the cucumber into ¼" rounds. Place in a mesh sieve (over a bowl or in the sink) and sprinkle with the salt and mix a bit to distribute.
- Place in a mesh sieve (over a bowl or in the sink) and sprinkle with the salt and mix a bit to distribute. Let the cucumbers sit for 10-30 minutes (depending on how much time you have).
- Mix the sour cream and dill in a bowl and set aside. Feel free to use more if you like.
- Slice the pickled onions into thin strips, and place in a bowl.
- Rinse and take the cucumbers out of the sieve, and place in either paper towels or a kitchen towel. Give this a good squeeze to release as much moisture as possible. Place the cucumbers in the bowl with the onions.
- Add the sour cream mixture, stir to combine. Serve.
Heather
This looks amazing!! What an awesome salad, especially with warmer weather heading our way soon. I love that you use sour cream .. it looks so creamy and inviting. Great recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
It is such an easy salad to put together, and sure makes a great crowd pleaser for all the backyard parties this summer.
Sara
This looks like a great dish! I am definitely taking this to a picnic this summer
Homemade & Yummy
Perfect for easy summer eating.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago
This looks like a wonderful summer salad and I love the idea of pickled onions!
Homemade & Yummy
Yup easy summer eating for sure.
Tamara Andersen
We have grilling season all year ’round in south Texas, and I would love your cucumber salad anytime… We just smoked a couple of chickens, and it would have been the perfect side! Pinning!
Homemade & Yummy
This is the perfect side to so many dishes. Just bought more cucumbers today.
Lauren
I am anxiously awaiting summer and all of the food that comes with it, and this looks perfect for barbecues! So easy!
Homemade & Yummy
YES….bring on SUMMER…and all the wonderful foods that go with it.
Analida @ ethnicspoon.com
I really love a cool and creamy salad dish to pair with spicy BBQ dishes in the summer. They tame the heat of my husbands habanero wings. Thanks!
Homemade & Yummy
YES…my hubby loves spicy food too. This is the perfect side to help with that.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
I love a cucumber salad and pickled onions!
Homemade & Yummy
I know, the pickled onions really take this humble salad to the next level.
Carrie
What a great summer salad! This would be perfect as a side at barbecues!
Homemade & Yummy
I know it is going to be a summer staple here for sure.
Anna
Oh this salad brought back so many memories for me! I was born and raised in Poland, and my nana had a huge garden where we all had to pull the shift in, but it was amazing, having all these fresh fruit and veg, straight from the garden. I make a very similar version of this salad often (I’ve been using raw onion rather than pickled one) , and I just love the combo of sour cream and cucumber.Looks delicious!
Homemade & Yummy
Oh yes….picking the veggies from the garden. Glad it brought great memories for you.
georgie @ georgieeats
I love this! I am going to try this recipe at the weekend and let you know what I think… Thank you for sharing!!
Homemade & Yummy
Great, hope you like it as much as we do.
Amanda Delffs
I may have missed it but would love to have your pickled onion recipe! I’m a big fan of cucumber salad and have my favorite but this might be even better!
Homemade & Yummy
No, you did not miss it….that will be coming soon. In the mean time you can use any bought pickled onions you like.
Dominique | Perchance to Cook
This sounds so good! It reminds me of a Hungarian cucumber dish that my mother used to make growing up. She also used sour cream, but she added lots of paprika. 🙂 I’d love to try this version!
Homemade & Yummy
Paprika would be great too. I absolutely LOVE smoked paprika.
Sarah
Our weather in WV has been unseasonably cold this spring. I actually woke up to an unexpected blanket of snow this morning– unreal! I can’t wait for summer BBQs and cold veggie salads like this.
Homemade & Yummy
I am SOOOO done with this weather. Bring on the WARM sunny days.
Carmy
This looks like the perfect summer pinic dish! The cucumbers are so refreshing and accessible! I’ll have to keep this in my mind for next work potluck too. Can’t go wrong with salad.
Homemade & Yummy
Perfect for hot weather meals….which I sure hope come soon.
Veena Azmanov
I eat a side of salad every single day and often with every meal..!! The only way to maint that waist. So I’m always looking for ways to make my salad more fun. This sounds perfect for my next meal. Yum!
Homemade & Yummy
Well this one is HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS and super easy.