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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. After a short chill, the dressing clings to every slice for a cold, fresh BBQ 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: 315
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cucumber base
  • 3 English cucumbers Thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1 red onion Thinly sliced into half-moons
  • 1.5 tsp salt Kosher or fine salt
  • 1 fresh dill Chopped
  • 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper To taste
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder Measure level
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar Measure level
Dill sour cream dressing
  • 1 cup sour cream Full-fat preferred for a thicker coating
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise Adds richness
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar For tang
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill Chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper To taste
Garnish
  • 1 fresh dill Extra, for garnish
  • 0.25 tsp cracked black pepper Extra, for garnish

Method
 

Drain the cucumbers
  1. Place the sliced English cucumbers and red onion in a colander, toss with salt, and let sit 15-20 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Visually, the cucumbers should look a bit glossy and watery at the bottom of the colander.
  2. Pat the cucumber and onion mixture completely dry with paper towels. The surface should look less wet before you mix in the dressing.
Make the dill sour cream dressing
  1. Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, chopped fresh dill, garlic powder, granulated sugar, and cracked black pepper until smooth. The dressing should look creamy and evenly speckled with dill.
Coat and chill
  1. Add the drained cucumbers and red onion to the dressing and toss gently to coat. You should see an even creamy coating clinging to the cucumber slices.
  2. Taste and adjust vinegar, salt, or dill as needed. The flavor should be tangy with a clear dill note without tasting harsh.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. It should thicken slightly and look more cohesive as it chills.
Serve
  1. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with extra fresh dill and cracked black pepper. Serve chilled so the cucumber rounds stay crisp-tender and cool.

Notes

For best texture, salt and drain the cucumbers, then pat very dry—excess water can thin the dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; the salad can weep slightly over time but remains safe. Freezing is not recommended. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat sour cream and swap in plain Greek yogurt for part of the sour cream while keeping the mayo amount to maintain cling.