Creamy Cucumber Salad

Name: Creamy Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pcs cucumber; 1 pcs shallot; 1 cloves garlic clove; 1 tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped; 2 tbsp light sour cream; 2 tbsp mayonnaise; 0.25 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp pepper

20 min

2 portions

salad side dish quick

Plan this

Ready in under 20 minutes and goes with pretty much everything — grilled fish, roast chicken, you name it. Swap the herbs for whatever's growing on your windowsill.

Instructions

1
Use a vegetable peeler to peel most of the skin off the cucumber. Cut it in half lengthways, then scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Slice it into thin strips lengthways first, then cut those into small pieces.
2
Finely chop the shallot, garlic, and herbs.
3
Mix everything together and season with the salt and pepper.

Per average serving

Calories

kcal

1.3

Protein

6.3

Carbs

6.5

Fat

1.1g

Fiber

2.8g

Sugar

164mg

Sodium

Family Portions

2portions

Adults

Children

No children added

Ingredients

cucumber
1 pcs
shallot
1 pcs
garlic clove
½ cloves
light sour cream (regular sour cream or Greek yogurt)
↳ regular sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 tbsp
salt
0.1 tsp
mayonnaise
1 tbsp
fresh herbs, finely chopped (Use parsley, chives, coriander, chervil, dill or mint — whatever you like)
½ tbsp
pepper
0.1 tsp

Per average serving

Calories

kcal

1.3

Protein

6.3

Carbs

6.5

Fat

1.1g

Fiber

2.8g

Sugar

164mg

Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

Scraping out the seeds matters more than it sounds. They hold a lot of water, and if you leave them in, the dressing goes runny and slides right off the cucumber.
Salt the cucumber pieces and let them sit in a colander for 10 minutes, then pat dry before mixing. Less water means the sour cream and mayo actually coat the cucumber instead of pooling at the bottom.
Go easy on the garlic since it's raw. One clove finely chopped is plenty, and if you mince it really fine it spreads through the whole bowl better.
Mix the shallot, garlic, and herbs into the sour cream and mayo first, then fold in the cucumber last. The dressing comes together more evenly that way.

Ways to vary it

Dill is the classic herb here, but chives or mint both work if that's what you've got on the windowsill.
A small spoon of Dijon stirred into the dressing gives it a bit of bite, if you like that.
Swap the shallot for a few thin slices of red onion soaked in cold water for five minutes. Milder, and it looks nice.

Storage & leftovers

Best eaten the day you make it. It keeps in the fridge for a day in a covered container, but the cucumber keeps releasing water so it gets looser overnight. Don't freeze it, the cream splits and the cucumber turns to mush.

What to serve with it

Goes well next to grilled fish or roast chicken. It also makes a cool side for anything off the grill on a warm evening.

By Untrained ChefPublished 4 May 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026

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