Old-Fashioned Creamy Cucumber Onion Salad
Old-fashioned creamy cucumber onion salad made with fresh cucumbers, sour cream, vinegar, and onion. A cold, crisp summer side dish perfect for garden season.
Every summer, there comes a point where the cucumbers start taking over.
A few plants somehow turn into armfuls of cucumbers overnight. They pile up on the kitchen counter, fill baskets in the refrigerator, and suddenly every meal needs a cucumber side dish whether you planned for one or not.
This old-fashioned creamy cucumber onion salad is one of the recipes I come back to every single year.
It’s cold, creamy, tangy, lightly sweet, and tastes exactly like something you’d find beside a plate of grilled burgers at a Midwest church supper in July. The cucumbers stay crisp, the onions mellow as they chill, and the sour cream dressing becomes silky and flavorful after sitting in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
What makes this version especially good is the balance. Too much vinegar can make cucumber salad sharp and overpowering. Too much sugar makes it flat and overly sweet. This recipe keeps the dressing creamy and bright while still letting the fresh cucumber flavor stand out.
And if you grow cucumbers at home, this is one of the best ways to use them during peak garden season. Around here, this is the recipe we make when the garden starts producing cucumbers faster than we can keep up.
If you grew up eating the old-fashioned "cucumbers onion vinegar sugar recipe" style of cucumber salad at summer cookouts or family dinners, this creamy version will feel especially familiar.
Jump to:
- What This Cucumber Salad Tastes Like
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients for cucumber salad
- How to make cucumber salad
- Best Cucumbers for Cucumber Salad
- Cucumber Tip
- Why Some Cucumber Salads Turn Watery
- Tips for the Best Cucumber Salad
- Variations
- Recipe
- Storage
- FAQ
- Serve this cucumber salad with...
- Top tip
- Still hungry?
- Comments
What This Cucumber Salad Tastes Like
This cucumber salad is cool, creamy, tangy, and refreshing with just enough sweetness to balance the vinegar dressing. The cucumbers soften slightly as they chill while still keeping a fresh crunch, and the thinly sliced onions become mellow and flavorful without overpowering the salad.
It’s the kind of cold summer side dish that somehow tastes even better after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect for fresh garden cucumbers
- The vinegar keeps the dressing bright and balanced
- Sour cream creates a creamy old-fashioned texture
- Easy to make ahead for cookouts and summer dinners
- Works with both garden cucumbers and English cucumbers
Ingredients for cucumber salad
- Cucumbers | Fresh garden cucumbers have the best flavor in this recipe. Smaller cucumbers tend to stay crisper and contain fewer bitter seeds than oversized mature cucumbers.
- White Vinegar | Regular distilled white vinegar gives this salad its classic old-fashioned flavor. Apple cider vinegar can also be used for a slightly softer flavor.
- Sour Cream | Full-fat sour cream creates the creamiest texture and best flavor. The richness balances the vinegar dressing beautifully.
- Onion | Thinly sliced sweet onion works especially well because the flavor becomes milder as the salad chills.
- Sugar | A small amount of sugar balances the acidity and gives the dressing that familiar creamy cucumber salad flavor most people grew up eating. I like to add between one teaspoon and one tablespoon of sugar to this recipe. When my grandma makes it, she adds up to â…“ of a cup, but I think it's a bit too sweet for my taste. I recommend tasting the cucumbers before deciding how much sugar to add. Mild and sweet flavored cucumbers won't need as much sugar as a larger or bitter cucumber.
- Salt & Pepper | Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt are just what this recipe needs! I've included recommendations for how much to use, but you can adjust it to taste. My husband firmly believes that this recipe needs 2 teaspoons of each. I like to go a little lighter.
How to make cucumber salad
- Use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the cucumber skin. If the variety of cucumber you are using has a tender and thinner skin, it can be left on if you want to.
- Next, cut or use a mandolin slicer to chop the cucumbers into thin slices and put the cucumber slices in a medium bowl. Slice the onions into rings and add them to the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and sour cream and whisk until smooth. If you are adding fresh herbs, such as dill, add them here.
4. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate until suppertime. After the salad chills for an hour, the dressing becomes creamy and silky while the onions soften just enough to lose their sharp bite. On a hot July evening straight from the garden, it’s one of those simple side dishes that somehow disappears faster than the main meal.
Hint: If you are using really large cucumbers that have big seeds, remove the seeds. Just trust me on this one. If you are using regular or small cucumbers, the seeds will be totally fine to leave in.
Best Cucumbers for Cucumber Salad
The best cucumbers for cucumber salad are freshly picked cucumbers that haven’t grown overly large or seedy yet. Smaller cucumbers usually have better texture, fewer bitter seeds, and less excess water.
Over the years, my favorite varieties for cucumber salad have been Marketmore 76, Chicago Pickler, English Cucumbers, Tendergreen Burpless, Muncher, and Lemon Cucumbers.
If your cucumbers have large mature seeds, I recommend scooping some of them out before slicing. And for extra crisp cucumber salad, try soaking the cucumbers in ice water for 20 minutes before making the salad.
| Cucumber Variety | Why It Works Well |
|---|
| English Cucumbers | Thin skin, fewer seeds, less watery |
| Marketmore 76 | Classic garden cucumber flavor with crisp texture |
| Persian Cucumbers | Naturally sweet and extra crunchy |
| Lemon Cucumbers | Mild flavor and fun for summer gatherings |
| Large Overgrown Garden Cucumbers | Can become watery or slightly bitter |
Cucumber Tip
If using large mature garden cucumbers, peeling them and removing part of the seed center can improve the texture of the salad.
Why Some Cucumber Salads Turn Watery
Cucumbers naturally hold a huge amount of water, especially large garden cucumbers picked during the heat of summer. As cucumber salad sits, that moisture slowly releases into the dressing.
The easiest way to prevent a watery cucumber salad is to salt the cucumbers before mixing the salad together.
Place the sliced cucumbers into a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let them sit for 20–30 minutes. The salt helps pull excess moisture from the cucumbers while also improving their flavor and texture.
After salting, gently pat the cucumbers dry before mixing them into the dressing.
English cucumbers also tend to release less water because they contain fewer seeds.
Tips for the Best Cucumber Salad
- Slice the cucumbers thinly so they absorb the dressing evenly
- Chill the salad before serving for the best flavor
- Salt the cucumbers first if your cucumbers are especially watery
- Use fresh dill for extra garden flavor
- Make it a few hours ahead of time for even better flavor
Variations
- Add Fresh Dill - Fresh dill gives this salad a classic garden flavor that works beautifully with cucumbers and sour cream.
- Make It Lighter - Replace part of the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
- Add Tomatoes - Garden tomatoes make a delicious addition during peak summer harvest season.
- Use Red Onion - Thinly sliced red onion gives the salad a slightly sharper flavor and extra color.
Recipe
Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- bowl
- knife or mandolin
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers large
- 1 yellow onion
- â…“ cup white vinegar
- â…“ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar optional
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
Instructions
- Use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the cucumber skin. Â If the variety of cucumber you are using has a tender and thinner skin, it can be left on if you want to.
- Next, cut or use a mandolin slicer to chop the cucumbers into thin slices and put the cucumber slices in a medium bowl. Slice the onions into rings and add them to the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, and sour cream and whisk until smooth. If you are adding fresh herbs, such as dill, add it here!
- Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and season with salt and pepper to taste. Â
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until suppertime. It's best to eat this salad right away, but can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Storage
Store leftover cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Because cucumbers naturally release moisture over time, the dressing may become thinner as the salad sits. Stir before serving.
FAQ
Yes. English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, and traditional garden slicing cucumbers all work well in this recipe. Smaller cucumbers usually have fewer seeds and a crisper texture than oversized mature cucumbers.
Yes. Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for part or all of the sour cream for a lighter version of the salad. The flavor will be slightly tangier, but still delicious.
That depends on the cucumber variety and personal preference. Thin-skinned cucumbers like English cucumbers usually do not need peeling. Larger garden cucumbers often have thicker skins that can become slightly bitter, so peeling them is usually best.
This cucumber salad pairs well with grilled burgers, pulled pork, barbecue chicken, sandwiches, fried chicken, and other old-fashioned summer meals.
Yes, garden cucumbers are actually my favorite for this recipe. Smaller freshly picked cucumbers tend to have the best flavor and texture. If your cucumbers have grown very large or developed big seeds, peeling and removing the seed center will give the salad a better texture.
Serve this cucumber salad with...
This fresh and light cucumber salad pairs well with any summer meals! I like to serve it with Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot for a quick weeknight supper. It is also delicious when paired with a Tabouli Salad served on lettuce greens. Wash it down with a refreshing Ranch Water and grab a slice of Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake for dessert!
Top tip
This salad has a lot of liquid. I prefer to transport it to cookouts or summer night dinner parties in a ½ gallon mason jar with the lid tightly closed. Another storage and transport option would be a pyrex bowl with tight fitting lid. No one wants a sloshy mess in their car!
Still hungry?
More Old-Fashioned Summer Recipes
If you have extra cucumbers from the garden, you may also enjoy:
- Homemade pickles (beginner-friendly canning recipe)
- Tomato cucumber feta salad
- Canned garden salsa
- Peach cobbler
- Old-fashioned peach preserves
- How to Can Peaches
- Canning Sweet Corn
Make it all the time. I use Vidalia Onions in mine, also add Dill along with Salt and Pepper, Sugar.