Creamy Cucumber Salad

A light, creamy cucumber salad with a tangy sour cream dressing. A salt-and-drain step keeps the cucumbers crisp instead of watery, and the whole thing comes together in 15 minutes of hands-on time.

Course Salad, Side, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy cucumber salad, creamy cucumber salad recipe, cucumber salad, cucumber salad recipe

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings people (about 5 cups)

Calories 96kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 seedless English cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of ground black pepper
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (or 2 green onions for a milder flavor)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced (plus extra for garnish, if desired)

Instructions

Place cucumbers in a large bowl. Toss with vinegar and salt. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. You'll see liquid pool at the bottom as the salt draws moisture out. Pour off the liquid and gently pat cucumbers dry with a paper towel.
In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, garlic powder, and pepper until smooth.
Pour dressing over the drained cucumbers.
Stir in onion and dill until evenly coated.
Cover and chill for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving. Give it a stir and garnish with extra dill, if desired.

Notes

Salt-and-drain is the key step. Skip it and the salad turns watery within an hour. Letting the cucumbers sit with salt and vinegar for 30 minutes pulls out enough moisture to keep the dressing creamy.
Use English or Persian cucumbers. Thin skin, minimal seeds, and less moisture overall. If using a regular grocery store cucumber, peel and seed it first.
Slice on the thicker side. If using a mandoline, set it to a slightly wider width. Paper-thin slices wilt under the dressing.
Full-fat dairy makes a difference. Lower-fat sour cream and mayo thin out faster and don't cling to the cucumbers the same way.
Greek yogurt swap. Plain Greek yogurt can replace some or all of the sour cream for a tangier, lighter dressing. A 50/50 split works well.
Make Ahead: Up to 4 hours in advance. The salad needs at least 1 to 2 hours of chilling for the flavors to come together.
Store: Airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The cucumbers will soften and the dressing thins as it sits.
Don't freeze. Cucumbers turn mushy when thawed.

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