Creamy Dill Cucumber Onion Salad (With Sour Cream And Mayo)

This is a salad that is meant to be prepared and served quickly. It’s for the times that you want to add some extra veggies to your dinner table, and want something quick, light, and fresh.

(If you want to make this salad to serve later, review the Cooking And Recipe Tips section below.)

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Simple and quick to prepare with minimal effort required.
• Straightforward instructions with ingredients you may already have on hand.
• A 30-minute recipe.
• Low-carb, keto-friendly, and vegetarian-friendly.
• A delicious summer side dish (or, for my family, a side dish for any time of year!).

➡️ Ingredients

⏲ How to make creamy cucumber salad with sour cream and mayo

This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Combine Cucumber And Onion: Combine your cucumber slices and red onion slices in a large mixing bowl.
2. Prepare Dressing: In a separate medium bowl, prepare your dressing by mixing together sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, and pepper.
3. Mix Together Then Refrigerate: Transfer the dressing to your bowl of cucumber and onion and then, using a large spoon, toss to coat the cucumbers and onions in the dressing. Transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.
4. Garnish And Serve: Sprinkle on flakey sea salt and, optionally, additional fresh dill and pepper before serving.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

• Cucumbers: American Slicing cucumbers (the ones with green, waxy skin) are used in this recipe, but English cucumbers will work well here, too.
• Mayo: You can omit mayo and use sour cream or Greek yogurt at a 1:1 ratio.
• Sour Cream: Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, but just note that this will change the resulting flavor of the dish to be tangier.
• Fresh Dill: Dried dill will work (though I will note that I personally think fresh dill tastes best here). If you don’t have fresh dill, sub in 2 teaspoons for the 2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh dill that the recipe calls for. Instead of fresh dill, you can also use other chopped fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley, or cilantro.
• Red Onion: A yellow, white, or sweet onion (like a Vidalia) can be substituted here. Onion can also be omitted entirely.

✨ Variations

• Add acidity and brightness to the dressing by including 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Add a little garlic powder and/or onion powder to the dressing.
• Add in chopped purple cabbage for added nutrients and a pop of color.
• Spice it up by mixing in some finely chopped jalapeño peppers.

〰️ How to serve

• Plate the salad alongside your favorite grilled or baked protein, like burgers, steaks, ribs, or these savory chicken kebabs, grilled beef finger meat, or garlic brown sugar pork chops.
• Fried proteins like these chicken nuggets in air fryer, air fryer salmon bites, and air fryer parmesan cod also work well with this creamy salad!
• Serve alongside savory dishes like this grilled hot honey chicken.
• Serve with a dessert that features fresh berries, like this fruit pizza, pavlova cake, or stuffed peaches.

➜ Cooking and recipe tips

• If you have time and/or if you plan to make this salad in advance to eat later, before you get started with the recipe, give the cucumbers and onions time to release their liquid. Add the sliced cucumbers and onions to a colander and then sprinkle on 1 Tablespoon of salt. Toss the cucumbers and onions around in the colander until the salt is evenly coating them. Place the colander on top of a plate and then let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour (or up to 2 hours is fine, too!). After this time, transfer them to a clean plate lined with some paper towel and then, using another piece of paper towel, gently pat them dry to remove any excess moisture. If you plan to eat the salad right after preparing and chilling, you can skip doing this.
• The cucumbers can be prepared to your liking. The recipe is written to half-peel them (meaning: peeling off some of the skin in strips and leaving the remainder intact), but you can leave the skin on or fully peel it. You can also choose to slice the cucumbers with a sharp knife or a mandolin. The recipe will work with thinner or relatively thicker slices, so you can decide what method you’d prefer.

💬 FAQs

📚 More quick side dish recipes

• Buttery Roasted Whole Cauliflower
• Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto
• Keto Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Keto Roasted Radishes