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.
Erin
I’m so with you. Full-fat is definitely the way to go! And this salad looks perfect. Dill and cucumber is such a great combination!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I know right, sometimes we just need the full-fat versions in recipes.
Ann
This is such a classic cucumber salad recipe. I have some extra garden fresh cucumbers, so plan on making this soon!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You will enjoy your cucumbers in this delicious salad recipe.
Jamie
Oh my, this salad dish looks so yummy and very healthy! I love the idea of combining cucumber and onion as the main ingredients for such a salad recipe! It is just so perfect, loved it!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed this super easy salad recipe with cucumbers.
Susan
What a perfect salad for a hot summer evening, and I always have pickled onions on hand. This salad is getting made!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Enjoy this super easy cucumber salad.
Mikayla
The bite of the pickled onions with the fresh crisp cucumber and dill made this a really great salad, we will enjoy this salad again soon!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We really enjoy this cucumber salad with pickled onions too.
Swathi
This cucumber salad looks delicious. I like the addition of onion of salad.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
The pickled onions work well in this cucumber salad recipe.
Susan
Cucumber salads are so refreshing in summer! I think I’ll make this one this weekend since I have some pickled onions I just made a couple night ago. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Enjoy, this is such an easy and delicious salad. Perfect for summer.
Jessica
I made this salad for a potluck at work yesterday and it was wonderful! Easy to whip up and everyone loved it!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Sometimes the old tried and true recipes are still the best.
Ramona
I never thought of this combo before but this is such a delicious idea! It was the star dish for our bbq last night. Fabulous salad! Thanks for sharing it dear Gloria!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this easy to make cucumber salad. Glad you enjoyed it.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
This salad is so refreshing!! The cucumbers are cooling – the onion is tart and delicious! The whole salad is just so darned good. That’s all I had for dinner!!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Well I am so glad your dinner was delicious.
Elizabeth
I’m typically not a fan of dill but decided to try this recipe because I wanted a fresh salad for summer. It was delightful! I never knew dill could taste so good!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
OMG the combination of dill, sour cream and cucumbers is so good.
Chef and Steward
Ingredients in the fridge? Check! Ingredients in the pantry? Check! I am ALL about the simplicity, ease and freshness and flavour texture contrasts! Love this recipe Gloria!
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much. Hope you love this as much as we do.
Matt Kearns
Wow so many tasty flavors with this salad! I’m m addicted to anything pickled and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
I just bought more cucumbers on the weekend….round 2 coming up this weekend.
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
I adore salads like this! I’ve made a lot of variations as well, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever pickled the onions for it. What a great idea, and awesome that you put a twist on it so your husband would enjoy it, too!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes the pickled onions really do add a great taste and texture to this simple, delicious salad.
Stacey
This sounds so good! I love cucumber salads, but have never made one with pickled onions…I have give this one a try!
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It is so easy and delicious.