Creamy Cucumber Salad – My Mom’s Delicious Recipe

Creamy cucumber salad is so delicious! It’s perfect to serve for a summer party, a family get together, or a picnic in the park. The “secret sauce” is the right combination of vinegar, sour cream, and milk.

This simple recipe can be made in just minutes and you probably have all of the ingredients you need already on hand. It’s great served with barbecue grilled Texas Flank Steak and a side of good old-fashioned homemade mashed potatoes.

The full recipe with instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can find helpful tips and tricks within the blog post itself.

Where I Got This Recipe

This recipe is from my Mom. She was a great cook ~ most of her recipes were simple…nothing too complicated….but always delicious! This was one of my favorites and even though I have her exact recipe, mine never tastes as good as my mom’s ~ she just had a way about her!

What’s in this Creamy Cucumber Salad?

As I said above, this is a super simple recipe. It calls for cucumbers, onion (red onion tastes the best in this recipe), sour cream, vinegar, a bit of sugar, and milk. And, of course, salt and black pepper to taste.

Details, Questions, and Alternatives:

Can Greek yogurt be substituted for the sour cream?

Yes. Plain Greek yogurt is a wonderful recipe swap for sour cream. Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream in dips, dressings, and even in baked goods.

In order to do a successful swap, substitute full fat Greek yogurt for full fat sour cream in a 1:1 ratio, i.e., 1/2 cup sour cream equals 1/2 cup Greek yogurt.

If you’d like more information regarding harvesting and storing fresh cucumbers this is a wonderful article.

Other Substitutions

• Apple cider vinegar can be substituted for the white vinegar.
• Feel free to make this Easy Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe your own by adding fresh herbs like chopped dill, parsley, or mint. All of these herbs go well with cucumbers and would be an easy way to change up this recipe to make it fit your specific taste.
• Fresh garlic or a dash of garlic powder can also be added to the dressing prior to gently stirring in the cucumber slices.

How to Make Mom’s Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe- a Sweet and Sour Delight!

Creamy Cucumber Salad Ingredients:

1 Large fresh cucumber – peeled and sliced

4 ounces sour cream

2 tsp. vinegar

3 tsp. sugar {you can substitute Splenda} My mother was a diabetic and always substituted a sugar alternative and I never tasted a difference

Milk to desired consistency {whole milk while provide a creamier consistency while skim milk will be more “liquidy”}

Directions:

1. Peel the cucumber and cut into thin slices. Salt the sliced cucumber and squeeze-it is important to squeeze the cucumbers once sliced and salted to remove the extra liquid so that the salad is not watery. OR, you can cut the cucumber in half lengthwise once peeled and gently scoop out the seeds. This little trick will lessen the overall watery content of the recipe.

2. Combine sour cream, sugar, vinegar and milk blending well in a serving bowl.

3. Add cucumber slices to the creamy dressing.

4. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours prior to serving.

Garnish with fresh dill or dried dill if desired.

Notes:

If there is any leftover dressing I like to save it to serve over lettuce salads with a fresh tomato. I add a sprinkle of kosher salt and it is a heavenly treat! Try pouring it over grilled chicken (one of my favorite ways to use the leftover dressing).

Can I make This Recipe Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you won’t be serving it for a day or two make the dressing and refrigerate it separately from the sliced cucumber and onions. About an hour or two before serving, mix everything together and place back in the refrigerator until your ready to eat.