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Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy cucumber salad with thin cucumber rounds and red onion half-moons coated in a tangy dill sour cream dressing. This sour cream cucumber salad recipe chills into a cold, clinging texture for an easy cucumber side dish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cucumbers
  • 3 English cucumbers thinly sliced
  • 1.5 tsp salt for drawing out moisture
Dressing
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • cracked black pepper to taste
To finish
  • extra fresh dill for garnish
  • cracked black pepper for serving

Method
 

Salt and dry the vegetables
  1. Place the sliced cucumbers and red onion in a colander, toss with salt, and let sit for 15-20 minutes to draw out excess moisture; the cucumbers should look slightly softened and wet.
  2. Transfer the cucumbers and onion and pat completely dry so the salad won’t dilute the dressing.
Make the dill sour cream dressing
  1. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, chopped dill, garlic powder, sugar, and cracked pepper until smooth; the mixture should be creamy and evenly speckled with dill.
Coat and season
  1. Add drained cucumbers and red onion to the dressing and toss gently to coat; you should see a light creamy sheen on every slice.
  2. Taste and adjust vinegar, salt, or dill as needed until the flavor is tangy and well-seasoned.
Chill and garnish
  1. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving for a cold cucumber salad texture.
  2. Garnish with extra fresh dill and cracked black pepper, then serve chilled; the top should look fresh with visible dill fronds and onion flecks.

Notes

For best results, pat the cucumbers completely dry after salting—this prevents watery pooling. Store covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; the salad may release a little moisture after day 2. Freezing is not recommended. For a lighter option, swap half the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt while keeping the same chill time for a thick, tangy dressing.