Our light and healthy cucumber dill salad recipe has no sour cream or mayonnaise. It is a great side dish or snack to serve in the summertime that takes just 15 minutes to make. Bright and vibrant like our viral Korean Cucumber Salad dish.
When summertime hits I am all about cool snacks and side dishes like this one. With just a few ingredients you can make a tangy dressing to pour on top of your thinly sliced cucumber dials and enjoy in less than 15 minutes flat!
I mean when it is HOT outside the last thing I want to do is turn on an oven, to make anything. If I can get away with it I like to make lunches that require NO heat, like this and our crab salad sandwich is always a winner.
Just a little chopping with a knife or mandoline is all you need, in a bowl, and it is even better the next day if you ask me. Allowing the flavors to meld together, I take this often to the beach and it never lasts long.
Cucumber Dill Salad Ingredients
As far as the vegetables go you need the main star of the show, either a regular or English cucumber. I like to use the latter. They are long, slender, and have thin, smooth skin, making them sweeter and less bitter than the typical ones because their seeds are less mature and nearly undetectable.
Adding some thinly sliced red onions are great for more color, texture and adding more flavor. Of course this is optional and could be left out but they do add a bit of sweetness actually which even my girls love.
Cucumber Dill Salad Dressing
Of course you could use a bottled Italian dressing and just add some diced fresh dill but homemade is better. Beyond that you need a bit of sugar to sweeten, white vinegar will give it that tang, olive oil provides a smooth moisture to coat every piece and salt and pepper is a given.
How do you make it creamy?
This is a healthy version but if you wanted to make it creamier you could add a dollop of sour cream, mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt. This will make it more like a potato salad type of texture which will add more calories but is a nice tweak if you wanted to offer two versions to your guests.
I prefer to leave that out. Like our raw carrot salad you can really taste the natural flavors and sweetness from the vegetables as it is here. It is your choice either way though.
Can you make this ahead of time?
For sure, this is a great potluck or party food you can make the day before really but a few hours ahead of time is ideal. Just create, cover with saran wrap and keep in the fridge until later in the day when you’re ready to serve it. After sitting to marinate a while it is actually better!
Cucumber Dill Salad Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice cucumbers and red onions thin, add to a bowl. Dice fresh dill and add, gently fold everything together.
- In a small dish whisk together dressing ingredients, whisk together and pour on top of veggies. Gently toss to coat.
- Can serve immediately but ideally to generate more flavor, cover bowl with plastic wrap and put into fridge for 1 hour and then serve!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQ
That depends on whom you ask but I think the thinner the better! Remember that the thinner your slices are the more flavor they will soak up from the dressing it is coated with. The best way to thinly slice is with a mandoline so you don’t risk cutting yourself in the process.
1-2 hours is ideal to allow the flavors to deepen and marinate the veggie slices better. It can sit up to overnight in a sealed container too though. Always cover and store in the fridge as it sits, stir before serving and enjoy.
