Make Creamy Cucumber Salad, Budget, Ingredients

$2.31 RECIPE / $0.58 SERVING

There isn’t a salad that says “Summer” quite like a simple creamy cucumber salad.

This creamy cucumber salad is light and refreshing, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare, making it the ideal side dish for any summer lunch.

CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD: WHAT’S IN IT?

Cucumbers, onions, and a simple creamy dressing make up this classic summer salad.

The dressing might vary depending on the recipe, but it commonly consists of a sour cream or yogurt base mixed with an acid (lemon juice or vinegar), sugar, and dill. It’s easy to make, healthy, and delicious!

CAN I USE FRESH DILL IN THIS RECIPE?

Fresh dill is commonly used in Creamy Cucumber Salad, but because fresh dill is sometimes difficult to come by or more expensive, I made the variation below with dried dill.

If you have fresh dill on hand, go ahead and use it. Instead of the dried dill indicated below, I’d use roughly 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill.

CUCUMBERS: TO PEEL OR NOT TO PEEL

Whether or not you peel the cucumbers is entirely up to you. I like the contrast of color provided by the peel, but cucumber peels can cause gastric problems in some individuals, so peel them if you prefer. If the seeds bother you, you can scrape them out as well.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LEFTOVERS?

Because the salt in the dressing draws the moisture out of the cucumbers, the salad will become watery if refrigerated for more than a day.

Fortunately, this salad is simple to scale down, or you may salt the cucumbers ahead of time to suck out extra water if you want to consume the leftovers for a few days.

However, salting the cucumbers would make them softer, which is why I don’t recommend it.

Place the sliced cucumbers in a large colander and mix with 1/2 tsp salt to pre-salt. Allow the cucumbers to drain for 1/2 hours before patting them dry with a paper towel.

Because the cucumbers will already be salted, skip the salt in the sour cream dressing and season the salad to taste when it’s prepared.

CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, dill, and salt to make the dressing. Set aside the dressing.
2. If desired, peel the cucumbers. Cucumbers and red onions should be thinly sliced.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cucumber, red onion, and dressing and whisk to blend.
4. Allow the salad to sit for 5-10 minutes before stirring it again and serving.

NUTRITION

• Serving: 1 cup
• Calories: 74 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 5 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Fat: 6 g
• Sodium: 302 mg
• Fiber: 1 g

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD

1. To begin, make the dressing. 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon dried dill, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, whisked together.
2. If desired, the cucumbers can be peeled. 1 large cucumber and 1/4 red onion, finely sliced.
3. In a large mixing basin, combine the cucumbers, onions, and dressing.
4. To blend, whisk everything together. Before serving, I like to let the salad sit for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Before serving, give it a good stir once more.

This super-fresh summer salad is ready to eat now!