Creamy Cucumber Salad

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A cucumber salad with a creamy dressing made with sour cream is one of the easiest ways to round out a meal, any time of year. It’s inexpensive, it’s pretty, it’s so easy to make, and it takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. The addition of feta or goat cheese is optional, but it adds even more creaminess and flavor to the salad. think of this for cookouts, potlucks, and picnics.

It would be terrific alongside a burger (try a Greek Turkey Burger and hold the tzatziki). It would also be a great addition to a brunch spread as a companion to a Breakfast Bagel Sandwich.

This version presents such a nice contrast between the crunch of the cucumbers and the onions and the creaminess of the dressing. If you don’t have time to refrigerate the salad before serving to meld the flavors, that’s ok – it will still be delicious.

Ingredients

• Sour cream – provides the creamy base for the dressing.
• Lemon – the juice adds a bit of acidity to balance out the richness of the dairy and the zest a bit of pure lemony flavor.
• Fresh dill – The fresh, herby flavor of dill and cucumber are excellent partners.
• Fresh chives

• Cucumbers – I like to use baby cucumbers, but you can also use long English seedless cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
• Onion – I like to use a red onion here, halved and very thinly sliced, for a bit of color.
• Crumbled feta or goat cheese – This is optional but adds a big flavor punch.

Tips

• If the skin of your cucumber is quite thin and tender, you don’t have to peel them. Otherwise, peeling the cucumber makes for a more delicate salad. You can also use regular cucumbers, sliced in half, lengthwise, seeded, and cut into half moons.
• Try and use seedless or English cucumbers if you can, as they have fewer seeds and a thinner skin than regular old cucumbers. (Funny that this is one case where being thin-skinned is a good thing, said the person who no one would mistake for a thick-skinned person.)
• If you want to use regular cucumbers, halve them lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and then slice them. Removing the seeds will prevent the salad from becoming watery.
• Refrigerating the salad even briefly helps the flavors blend together.
• If you choose to add goat cheese to the salad, you might think about a goat cheese with a twist, like this orange blossom honey goat cheese.

Variations

• Sub in 1 cup of sliced scallions, white and green parts, for the red onions if you prefer.
• You might also think of adding a cup of cooked corn kernels to this for a summery twist.
• For the holidays, a half cup or more of pomegranate seeds would be absolutely gorgeous strewn over the top. (I also like reasons to say and write the word strewn.)

How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad

1. Mix together the dressing ingredients.
2. Add the cucumbers and onion, and toss well to coat evenly with the dressing.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 5 hours. Distribute the feta or goat cheese over, if using, and toss again.

A cucumber salad is one of the easiest and cleanest ways to round out a meal, any time of year. This version presents such a nice contrast between the crunch of the cucumbers and the onions, and the creaminess of the dressing.

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Serve Creamy Cucumber Salad With

• Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Chops
• Alaska Rockfish Tacos
• Salmon with Tarragon Vinaigrette
• Dijon and Honey Crusted Pork Tenderloins
• Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs

Other Cucumber Salads

• Tomato, Avocado, and Cucumber Salad
• Thai Cucumber Salad
• Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad
• Corn, Cucumber, and Cantaloupe Salsa

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time (optional): 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 People

This salad has such a nice contrast between the crunch of the cucumbers and the onions, and the creaminess of the dressing.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• ▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• ▢ 3 cups thinly sliced baby cucumbers
• ▢ 1 medium-size red onion (halved and very thinly sliced)
• ▢ ½ cup crumbled feta (or goat cheese, optional)

Instructions 

• Mix together the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, chives, salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the cucumbers and onion, and toss well to coat evenly with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 5 hours.
• Distribute the feta or goat cheese over, if using, and toss again. Serve.

Notes

• • If the skin of your cucumber is quite thin and tender, you don’t have to peel them. Otherwise, peeling the cucumber makes for a more delicate salad. You can also use regular cucumbers, sliced in half, lengthwise, seeded and cut into half moons.

• • Try and use seedless or English cucumbers if you can, as they have fewer seeds and a thinner skin than regular old cucumbers. 

• • If you want to use regular cucumbers, halve them lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and then slice them. Removing the seeds will prevent the salad from becoming watery.

• • Refrigerating the salad even briefly helps the flavors blend together.

• • If you choose to add goat cheese to the salad, you might think about a goat cheese with a twist, like this orange blossom honey goat cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 86.04kcal, Carbohydrates: 4.92g, Protein: 2.75g, Fat: 6.53g, Saturated Fat: 4.1g, Cholesterol: 21.09mg, Sodium: 156.75mg, Potassium: 137.98mg, Fiber: 0.57g, Sugar: 2.79g, Vitamin A: 258.81IU, Vitamin C: 4.67mg, Calcium: 95.25mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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