A simple salad is the perfect side dish on a hot summer day! This takes just minutes to make.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- crunchy cucumbers
- rich, creamy sour cream dressing
- perfect side dish to any summer meal
If you're looking for an old fashioned creamy cucumber salad recipe with plenty of sour cream and onions (you know, like mom used to make) you are in luck!
This easy salad is light and refreshing - a classic recipe that's almost a requirement at summer parties and a nice change from pasta salads.
Crisp, cool cucumbers and sweet onions are tossed together in a lick-the-bowl-delicious sour cream dressing.
If you have any leftover the next day it makes an amazing filling for a sandwich!
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
With a plenty of fresh summer produce it's good to have a few recipes that use it while it's in season - and this is one of the best. Vary it to your own tastes.
- Add fresh dill to make it more of a Polish cucumber salad recipe. My mom didn't care for dill in hers.
- Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and you've got a Greek cucumber salad.
- Sprinkle paprika on top for a Hungarian cucumber salad.
- Add some crushed red pepper flakes for an unexpected punch of fresh flavor.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Add a clove of garlic, minced.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Place the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle them with a tablespoon of kosher salt. Stir gently so all the slices are coated with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. This helps remove excess juices from the cucumbers.
- Pour out any liquid in the bowl. Rinse the salt off the cucumber slices. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together.
- Toss the cucumbers and onions together in a large serving bowl and stir in the dressing.
🥫 How to Store Cucumber Salad
Store leftover creamy cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. After that it gets kind of watery.
This easy salad recipe is best served fresh - it doesn't freeze well.
I like to put the leftover salad between slices of white bread for cucumber sandwiches so we pretty much never have any to worry about.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip:If you use English cucumbers you won't have to peel them. The skins are more tender and not bitter at all.
- Depending on your tastes you can use a large or small red onion. I like lots of onion so I use large.
- Salting the cucumbers gets rid of excess moisture that can make your salad watery. I'd advise against skipping this step unless you're going to eat it right away.
- If you're using fresh garden cucumbers there's no need to peel them.
- Choose smaller cucumbers for best results.
- Vidalia onions are a delicious alternative to the red onions.
- Don't use big cucumbers. They just aren't as delicious as the smaller ones.
- I use lots of cracked black pepper because Mom did but I know some people prefer to use white pepper so the finished dish doesn't look speckled.
- A mandolin slicer or food processor makes creating even-sized slices of cucumber a breeze!
👩🍳 FAQs
This is probably one of the easiest summer side dishes known to man but if you've never made it before you may have a couple of questions. Here are the most common questions that I am asked about my favorite cucumbers in sour cream!
You can! It will have a slightly different texture and taste but it's definitely an acceptable substitute.
This is called "sweating". The salt removes some of the water from the slices and keeps the cucumbers from getting soggy in the dressing.
By using the "sweating method" above. It keeps your salad from being watery and only takes a few extra minutes.
📚 Related recipes
This creamy cucumber salad recipe (and other side dishes made with dairy or mayonnaise) need to be handled carefully if you will be eating outside. Be sure to keep these foods chilled.
- Macaroni Salad is classic, isn't it? Tender elbow macaroni, finely chopped vegetables, and plenty of green olives enveloped in a creamy dressing. YUM!
- Pea Salad disappears really fast at picnics and potlucks. Tender-crisp peas, cheddar, and bacon in a creamy dressing? Yes please!
- BBQ Macaroni Salad is like old fashioned macaroni salad but has the tangy addition of bbq sauce to the dressing. So good.
- Cowboy Caviar or Black Eyed Pea Salad has always been one of my favorites with its earthy, spicy flavors and simple ingredients. It's another refreshing dish to serve during hot summer months!
- Creamy KFC Coleslaw Copycat is almost required if you're serving fried chicken! SO good.
🍽️ Serve with...
Cool, creamy salads are the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats and other summer recipes. I have several that have been family traditions every summer for as long as I can remember...
And that's a long time. This is one of my favorite salad recipes because it's SO refreshing!
- This cooling dish goes really well with spicy cajun grilled chicken.
- Fluffy drop biscuits are easy to make.
- Maybe a refreshing lemon icebox pie for dessert?
📞 The last word
I know someone is going to say, "That's not Polish cucumber salad, that's Hungarian cucumber salad."
And then someone else is going to say that it's Greek cucumber salad.... and so on.
This is what I know...
I could eat this stuff all day long, every week, all summer. No matter where it came from. THIS recipe was given to my mom by her Polish friend in high school, a first-generation American.
This summer side dish is so refreshing on those hot days! It's a welcome addition to the dinner no matter how unbearably steamy and sticky it is outside.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
Cucumbers
- 4 cups cucumbers, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup onion, peeled and sliced - more or less to taste
Dressing
- ¾ cup sour cream, don't use nonfat
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar, more or less to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Place the cucumber slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt - stir gently so all the slices are coated with the salt.
- Let stand for 30 minutes.
- Pour out any liquid in the bowl and rinse the salt off the cucumber slices. Pat dry.
- Toss the cucumbers and onions together in a large bowl. Add the dressing, stirring to coat the cucumbers completely.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Sour cream dressing
- Whisk the sour cream, vinegar, and about 2 teaspoons of sugar together.
- Taste and add more sugar if desired.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over the cucumbers as directed above.
Notes
- If you use English cucumbers you won't have to peel them. The skins are more tender and not bitter at all.
- Depending on your tastes you can use a large or small red onion. I like lots of onion so I use large.
- Vidalia onions are a delicious alternative to red onions.
- I use lots of cracked black pepper because Mom did but I know some people prefer to use white pepper so the finished dish doesn't look speckled.
- A mandolin slicer makes creating even-sized slices of cucumber a breeze!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published May 23, 2019. Last updated June 6, 2023 for editorial improvements.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
Mom made a creamy version and a tangy vinaigrette version of this recipe but this one is my favorite.
This creamy cucumber salad was pretty much a daily dish all summer long when I was growing up.
My mom sliced cucumbers from our backyard garden into a bowl of salt and left them for about a half hour. After that, she rinsed them well, patted them dry, and added the onions and sour cream mixture.
I was so addicted. In fact, I loved when there were enough left that I could make a sandwich out of them.
After the cucumbers were gone Mom would just add more cucumbers to the tangy dressing that was left in the bowl.
I'm sure that by today's standards that's all kinds of dangerous but back then it was a standard practice.
Lorraine GunnI
I used to love this cold refreshing salad my mother's best friend, Lillian used to make for her big family picknics. Now I see what key ingredient I was leaving out, when I tried to recreate this at home: salt! Thankyou for bringing back a nice 1960's memory (on my birthday).
Lorraine
Marye
Happy birthday!
Wendy Wismer
This along with tomatoes,cucs and onions in oil and vinegar was a summer staple. We reused the dressing multiple times and lived to tell the tale! The only difference is a cucumber salad had to have fresh dill. This is a salad that tastes like my Nanas farm!
Gail Reinke
Do not have a printer but can not wait until I do to print your wonderful suggestions!!