Cucumber Salad With Sour Cream and Dill Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/27/21
Cucumber Salad With Sour Cream and Dill Recipe

The Spruce
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill Time: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
41 Calories
3g Fat
4g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 41
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 635mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 165mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This recipe for a simple summer side dish is made with cucumber slices that have been marinated in salt, drained, and mixed with a dressing of sour cream, vinegar, and dill.

It comes together in about 10 minutes plus a few hours for marinating and another hour for chilling, but the active work time is negligible. It can be done in steps with time in between for a dip in the pool.

If you're lucky enough to have cucumbers fresh from your garden, CSA, or local farmers market, go ahead and leave the peels on. Otherwise, peel them because they might have been sprayed with pesticides or other harmful chemicals. 

Serve the cucumbers as is or on mixed greens, watercress, or chopped lettuce for a refreshing and tasty side dish that is excellent with a summer meal.

Featured Video

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 1/3 cup sour cream

  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 2 1/4 teaspoons dried

  • Dash ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for cucumber salad
    The Spruce

  2. Arrange cucumber slices in a serving bowl, sprinkling layers with salt.

    Arrange cucumber slices
    The Spruce

  3. Place a saucer or other weight on cucumbers to weigh down. Cover and let stand for several hours.

    Weigh down cucumbers
    The Spruce

  4. Pour off and discard excess cucumber juices.

    Pour off juices
    The Spruce

  5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, vinegar, and chopped dill. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper.

    Mix dressing
    The Spruce

  6. Add dressing to cucumbers and gently toss to coat them. 

    Add dressing to cucumbers
    The Spruce

  7. Chill for at least 1 hour and stir to re-blend the ingredients before serving. Pair with your favorite entrée and enjoy!

    Chill salad
    The Spruce

Recipe Variation

  • For a faster and lighter cucumber salad, omit the sour cream and toss the sliced, marinated, and drained cucumbers with a mixture of 1/3 cup of cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of salt if needed. Add the chopped fresh dill and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Which Cucumber to Use

Theoretically, any cucumber can be used to make this dish, but the most frequently used types are the slicing and "burpless" varieties.


  • Slicing cucumbers are your garden-variety cukes found in most grocery stores. They have tough, dark green skin that is usually waxed and seeds that can range from very small to very large. To avoid any bitter taste, they should be peeled and large seeds scooped out. Common varieties include Kirby and Persian.
  • Burpless cucumbers are also known as English cucumbers. They are longer and narrower than slicers, and their seeds are usually so tiny, they don't have to be removed. The skin is thin and edible, and in general, they're sweeter-tasting than a slicer—although some would argue they are flavorless. They get their name from the fact that people believe it's the seeds in cucumbers that cause burping. Therefore, the negligible seed presence in English cukes should cause fewer burps and be "burpless." But, the jury is still out on this one.

Why do you salt cucumbers before making cucumber salad?

Salting the cucumbers is an important step in making a refreshing, crisp cucumber salad. Cucumbers are made mainly of water, thus putting salt on them before tossing with the salad dressing mixture, draws out, and gets rid of the excess water.