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Forget the bland, old-fashioned cucumber salads you may have tasted in the past. This healthy Creamy Cucumber Salad is crisp, refreshing, and guaranteed to pair perfectly with the rest of your potluck spread.
Eating this creamy cucumber salad made me realize that I overlook cucumbers more easily than I should.
For whatever reason, cucumbers aren’t usually an ingredient that I choose to make the centerpiece of a dish I bring to a barbecue or potluck. When I do, it’s as a supporting ingredient, like in this Salmon Salad.
This creamy cucumber salad made me rethink my ways. I see now that not only do cucumbers have star power, they are an ideal addition to a larger potluck spread.
Cucumbers are delightfully fresh, meaning they provide just the bright accent that any summer meal needs to feel balanced and complete.
Since they’re mild, cucumbers blend nicely with a wide array of dishes, like these Grilled Chicken Tenders or these Salmon Burgers.
No matter what else ends up on the picnic table, your creamy cucumber salad will be right on trend.
A Better Creamy Cucumber Salad
Prior to making this recipe, I’d never been a big fan of typical cucumber salads.
- Most old-fashioned creamy cucumber salads have the same salad dressing base made with some combination of mayo, milk and sour cream (or if someone felt really wild, it would be a creamy cucumber salad with miracle whip).
- The dressings were all bland, gloopy, and took away from what I love about cucumbers most: their spa-like lightness and crunch.
5 Star Review
“Made this as a side with your King Ranch chicken. Perfection! Loved the colors, crispness and creamy dressing. Easy and delicious. It’s a keeper!”
— Marnie —
How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
With ten ingredients and only basic kitchen equipment needed to prepare this dish, this creamy cucumber salad is the perfect potluck recipe for beginners looking to impress their friends and family.
The Ingredients
- Greek Yogurt. Instead of mayo, I opted instead to make my creamy cucumber salad with Greek yogurt. It is still plenty creamy and tangy, while also making the recipe lower in fat and cholesterol.
- Radishes. Give the dish extra zip and crunch. The cucumbers and radishes play well off of each other and make this recipe much more interesting than standard cucumber salads you may have tried.
- Honey. Adds just the right amount of sweetness to the dressing.
- White Vinegar. Adding an acid, like vinegar, to your recipe will always help balance out the flavors.
- Dill. Cucumber’s perfect partner, dill adds not only extra color, but super-fresh flavor.
- Chives. Adds the perfect hint of onion flavor that compliments, rather than over powers, the cucumbers and radishes.
The Directions
- Toss the cucumbers, radishes and salt together in a medium bowl. Cover and let them rest for 30 minutes before draining to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
Tip!
DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. It’s important to extract extra water from the cucumbers to ensure that your salad stays crisp and doesn’t become watery. I tried the recipe both ways (salting + draining and not), and I pinky promise you it’s worth the time.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss the cucumbers and radishes together with the dressing gradually.
- Stir in dill and chives and then season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- To Store. This salad is best enjoyed within a few hours of tossing with the dressing. However, leftovers may be kept covered in the fridge for up to two days.
- To Freeze. When frozen and thawed, cucumbers tend to lose their crunch. Therefore, I don’t recommend freezing this salad.
Meal Prep Tip
- This salad can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Store the radishes and cucumbers separately from the dressing, then combine just before serving.
Pair this with
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Whisk. This is my favorite size! It’s easy to handle and mixes dry and wet ingredients more easily than larger whisks.
- Colander. This one is durable and drains quickly.
- Mixing Bowls. Durable and dishwasher safe, this set nests together for compact storage.
Go Anywhere Mixing Bowls
This handy stack is easy to store AND looks nice enough to serve your salads and other recipes from too!
- 2 long English cucumbers peels left on, thinly sliced (if using regular cucumbers, peel first)
- 1 bunch radishes thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided, plus additional to taste
- 3/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove garlic minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives
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In a medium bowl, place the cucumbers and radishes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cover and let sit 30 minutes. This step is crucial to ensure your salad does not become watery.
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Pour the cucumbers and radishes into a colander and stir, draining out as much of the water as you can. Transfer to a dry bowl.
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In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the Greek yogurt, vinegar, honey, garlic, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Pour half of the dressing over the cucumbers and radishes and stir to combine. Continue adding additional dressing until you reach your desired creaminess. You want the vegetables to be well coated but not soggy.
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Stir in the dill and chives. Taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper as desired. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
- This salad can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Store the radishes and cucumbers separately from the dressing, then combine just before serving.
- This salad is best enjoyed within a few hours of tossing with the dressing. However, leftovers may be kept covered in the fridge for up to two days.
- For an extra super creamy salad, swap 3 tablespoons of the Greek yogurt for olive oil-based mayo.
Serving: 1(of 6), generous ¾ cupCalories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 4gFat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4g
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Can’t get enough cucumbers? Here are some of my other favorite healthy cucumber recipes:
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