Creamy Cucumber Salad With Sour Cream

It’s the perfect summer side dish, and you can make it ahead of time and chill it until ready to serve. This tasty salad is one of the summer’s little pleasures. Much like cold watermelon, fresh raspberries, and chilled soups (such as gazpacho). There’s something special about the combination of cucumbers and sour cream. The cucumbers are cool and fresh, the sour cream rich and creamy. And when you add vinegar and dill, you get a wonderfully flavorful salad that goes nicely with a wide variety of meals.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this creamy cucumber salad. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Sour cream: I recommend using full-fat sour cream in this recipe. I tried it once with Greek yogurt and felt it was a bit too tangy. White wine vinegar: Champagne vinegar also works. I’m not a fan of using distilled white vinegar - it’s too harsh and acidic. Dill weed: I know that some people really dislike this herb. If you’re one of them, simply omit it. Or add a bit of fresh parsley instead. If you like dill, please use it! It adds a wonderful layer of flavor to this salad. Cucumber: It’s best (but not mandatory) to use firm English cucumbers. Red onion: Try to slice it thinly. It’s not as sharp as white or yellow onions, but you still don’t want to bite into big chunks of it. Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the salad could end up too salty.

Instructions

Making this creamy cucumber salad is easy! It’s such a simple salad. Scroll down to the recipe card for the details. Here are the basic steps: Cucumber and onion slices are mixed with a simple dressing of sour cream, vinegar, and salt. Then they are allowed to macerate in the fridge for a few hours. That’s it! And the result is incredible. Tasty, refreshing, and the perfect side to grilled meats and seafood.

Expert tip

Frequently asked questions

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

As mentioned above, if you’re not a fan of dill, you can use other herbs instead. Good candidates include cilantro and parsley.Rather than using just sour cream, you can use half mayonnaise and half sour cream in the dressing.Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Serving suggestions

This is such a versatile side dish that goes with anything, really. I often serve it as an easy side to any of the following main dishes:

Grilled hamburgersGrilled skirt steakCajun chickenBaked salmon

Storing leftovers

You can keep this salad in the fridge for 3-4 days, in an airtight container. Mix it again before serving. I find it actually tastes better the second day, after the flavors have had a chance to meld.

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