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Creamy Cucumber Salad is a delicious and refreshing side dish. All it takes is a handful of fresh simple ingredients and 5 minutes. This is the perfect addition to your next summer barbecue!
Summer is in full swing and it is HOT! Cool and refreshing recipes are a necessity and this Creamy Cucumber Salad hits the spot and is a great side to Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken, Perfectly Juicy Grilled Steak, and Grilled Spinach and Herb Stuffed Pork Chops.
Selecting the main dish for your cookout is pretty easy but sometimes deciding on what to serve as a side can leave one stumped. Since it’s hotter than Hades outside and the main dish is hot, I like to serve sides that are cool, light, refreshing, and often healthy. This cucumber salad is just that!
How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad?
- Cut up the cucumbers and onion. This can be done by hand or using a mandoline slicer for a precise and consistent thickness.
- Make the dressing- Mix together the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), lemon juice & zest, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Mix together the cucumbers, onion, and dressing.
Why Should I use English Cucumbers?
English cucumbers are preferred because the seeds are smaller. The large seeds in a slicing cucumber cause them to be more bitter. Also, the skin on English cucumbers are thinner, eliminating the need to peel the cucumber.
Can I use Regular Slicing Cucumbers?
Yes! If you do, I recommend using smaller cucumbers or fresh home grown (or from the farmers market) so that you are using ones that aren’t bitter. If the skin is thick on the cucumbers you can go ahead and peel them.
What Greek Yogurt should I use?
Make sure you it’s PLAIN Greek yogurt. You can use non-fat or full fat, whichever you have on hand or prefer. I like to use the brand FAGE because it’s super smooth and creamy just like sour cream but without all the fat and calories and lots of protein.
Want more Refreshing Side Salads? Enjoy these ones!
- Chilled Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Honey Lime Poppy Seed Fruit Salad
- Greek Panzanella
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Creamy Grape Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups English cucumber thinly sliced (about 2 cucumbers)
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 lemon- zest & juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Mix yogurt, lemon juice and zest, dill, garlic, salt & pepper together in a small mixing bowl.
- Combine cucumber, onion, and yogurt mixture together and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Serves: 8
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Can this be made day before or will it get soggy?
You can make this the day before! Your cucumbers may not be quite as crisp but it should hold up ok.
I’ve been making similar cucumber salads for years. Each of the ones I’ve made have been improved by following these suggestions.
1. Use “pickling cucumbers,” frequently available in the market,
2. Drain the cucumbers to prevent the dressing from separating and becoming watery and
3. Add sugar (to taste) to the dressing before coating the cucumbers.
Sounds so good