Creamy Cucumber Salad
Crisp cucumbers and thinly sliced onion tossed in a tangy sour cream, lemon, and dill dressing. A refreshing 10-minute side salad.
- 1 1/2 lbs cucumbers (2 English cucumbers or 7-10 small ones)
- 1/2 medium purple or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup sour cream (reduced fat is okay)
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and a pinch of black pepper, or to taste
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir together and set aside while you prep the salad.
- Peel the cucumbers if needed, then slice into thin rounds — or half rounds if using large cucumbers. Place them in a large mixing bowl along with the thinly sliced onion.
- Just before serving, pour the dressing over the cucumbers and onions and toss to coat evenly. Once dressed, the salad stays fresh for about 2 to 3 hours if kept refrigerated, so it's best mixed close to serving time.
Chef's Note: This salad comes together fastest if you make the dressing first and let it sit while you slice the cucumbers and onion — that short rest gives the garlic and dill a chance to mellow slightly into the sour cream. Waiting to combine everything until just before serving matters more than it seems, since cucumbers release water once salted or dressed, which can quickly turn a crisp salad watery if it sits too long.
For a milder onion flavor, swap the sliced onion for 1/3 cup of chopped chives or green onion. If you'd rather skip the lemon juice, a tablespoon or two of mayo stirred into the dressing works well in its place, or you can substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream — just leave out the lemon juice if you go that route.
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