Grandma’s Easy 5 Minute Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Updated on Aug 23, 2022
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This is a really easy creamy cucumber salad recipe that is sure to become one of your favorite summer sides. With only five simple ingredients you can whip it up in just 5 minutes!
The Sunday lunch highlight at my grandma’s place wasn’t the roast for me. Nope, it was the creamy cucumber salad.
I know that children might have odd food preferences. But when I went for lunch at my grandparents that salad was what I always looked forward to.
My grandma was such a great cook. I always wish I’d asked her for more recipes.
Sadly, when I finally came up with that idea her Alzheimer’s had progressed too far. Oh well, at least her best cucumber salad stayed with me. Thanks Bernadine!
Ingredients
Cucumber
The humble cucumber is the main star in this easy summer salad. English cucumbers are fairly easy to get hold of so work well for this recipe.
If you need to choose another variety that’s fine too. You could even use a combination of cucumbers.
Onion
White onions are a good choice to add to the crunchy texture. They’ll also give that little bit of zing to contrast with the freshness of the cucumbers.
Cream
This classic summer salad recipe wouldn’t be as amazing without cream. It really brings the other four ingredients together and creates the best creamy salad.
Obviously, if you’re watching your weight you could try a lower-calorie alternative. We also have suggestions for a vegan option below in our FAQs.
White Wine Vinegar
This is an ingredient that you should be able to easily find at the grocery store. It’s a classic to add to a simple creamy dressing and will really add some lovely flavour.
If you can’t get hold of any you could always substitute it for apple cider vinegar.
Salt
You can’t have a good salad without a bit of seasoning!
Sugar
Although this may seem an unusual ingredient for a savoury dish, sugar really does well at balancing out the overall flavour.
Health Benefits
Here’s a quick macro overview of 1 serving:
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If you’re looking for healthy recipes then this is a great one!
Despite having a high water content and low-calorie count, cucumbers actually pack quite a punch when it comes to vitamins and minerals.
Most of the (few) calories in cucumbers come from dietary fiber. Fiber is good for you because it can help with digestion, and gut health and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Cucumbers also contain antioxidants that can help to fight the accumulation of free radicals and may reduce the risk of disease. Check out these 7 health benefits of cucumbers to find out more!
To maximize the nutritional benefits you should leave the skin on those crunchy cucumbers, as we have in this simple salad.
This easy side dish is not only vegetarian, but gluten-free, and egg-free. You could easily change out the dairy ingredients too to make it vegan.
For more healthy meal inspiration download your FREE 7-day Vegetarian Weight Loss Meal Plan.
How to make Grandma’s Creamy Cucumber Salad
My grandma Bernadine really did create an easy cucumber salad. This refreshing side dish will be ready in only 5 minutes!
- Slice those lovely crisp cucumbers into really thin slices, the thinner the better – we don’t want any chunks around here!
- Add it to a medium bowl and mix in the cream
- Finish off the salad with vinegar, sugar, and salt
- Mix well and let the salad rest for at least 2 hours for maximum taste
- Enjoy!
Creamy cucumber salad recipe FAQs
We’ve answered some of the most common questions about this recipe, but if you have more just let us know in the comments.
How do you store creamy cucumber salad?
This salad should last well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. We actually suggest making it ahead as it gets tastier over time, so if you can, leave it for a few hours or even a day before tucking in.
What type of cream works best in the dressing?
We suggest a cream that is approx 35% fat but runny enough to pour and mix.
Is it keto?
Yep! The good news is this recipe is low in carbs and could be a great addition for anyone on a keto diet (more vegetarian keto dishes right here!).
Why is my cucumber salad watery?
Cucumbers hold a lot of water right? They’re great for hydration but you don’t want to have a watery salad. If you want you can salt the cucumber in a collider first to remove the excess water.
You may also find that if you make a lower-calorie version it could cause to change in the thickness of the overall salad.
What to serve with cucumber salad?
This salad is the perfect side dish for the summer months, thanks to how refreshing and versatile it is.
Whether you’re taking it to outdoor barbecues or dishing it up with crusty bread, we’re sure it will go down well!
My favorite thing to add on top is fresh dill weed, it really is the best way to make the perfect salad even better.
Don’t worry if you haven’t got any though – the recipe survived thirty years without it, and will continue to do so.
Check out our vegetarian summer recipes for even more inspiration.
Can I make cucumber salad ahead?
Yes, you can make cucumber salad a few hours ahead of time, great for when you have lots of dishes to pull together for a party or BBQ.
Variations and Alternatives
Whilst we’ve only made this recipe with dairy cream, it should translate well into a vegan dish!
We suggest choosing a soy cream (instead of yogurt) as it will need a similar fat content of around 35% to get that delicious creamy sauce!
For a lower-calorie vegetarian alternative, you could substitute the cream for natural yogurt and leave out the vinegar if you wish.
If you can’t get any regular white onions you could use some sweet red onions or perhaps shallots instead.
More cucumber recipes
If you’re hooked on this creamy cucumber salad, check out our recipes for:
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- ½ onion
- ⅔ cup cream (⅔ cup = 100 ml)
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
Optional:
- 2 tbsp dill, fresh (or frozen)
Instructions
- Finely slice the cucumber and finely dice the onion. All really, really fine 🙂1 cucumber, ½ onion
- Add to a bowl and mix in the cream.⅔ cup cream
- Finish off the salad with the vinegar, sugar and salt.2 tbsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt
- Mix well and let the salad rest for at least 2 hours for maximum taste.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
So there you have it, my grandma Bernadine’s homemade creamy cucumber salad. I hope you agree that it really is a great recipe!
Whether you only like it on hot summer days at a good bbq, or as a great accompaniment to a roast dinner like I do it is sure to become a favorite!
For more healthy salad ideas take a look at our collection of 14 Weight Loss Salad Recipes.
Hauke Fox
I’m always on the lookout for these damn smart recipes. You know, those that only take a few minutes to put together and taste delicious. Vegetarian Cooking at home is a way to take back control over what I eat. I don’t like what many companies do to animals and the environment with their products.
Comments
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16 comments
Hi Hauke, I don’t like to use dairy and was wondering whether this salad would work using plain soy yoghurt instead of the cream?
Thanks, Sue
Hi Sue,
hmm, that’s a good question. I’ve never tried it with soy yogurt. All in all I’m sure the taste would be very different since yogurt usually has around 4% fat, cream around 30%. So, if you’d like to make it vegan, I’d look for something with more fat. There are deffo soy creams out there that fit the bill 🙂
I’m currently eating it and I love it! I’m a big cumcumber eater so I’m in love with that salad *-*
Haha, awesome! Really glad you enjoyed it, David 🙂
I haven’t made it yet, but have the mini cucumbers. Do you use heavy cream or half and half?
This looks like what my grandmother made that I loved.
Hi Cynthia, we use cream for it. Just looked up, if heavy cream and cream are the same. To me it looks like it. We mean the liquidy approx 35% fat cream 🙂
Loving the cucumber salad – thank you
You asked for family recipes, this is probably my favourite
Grandma’s spaghetti cheese
This is the most surprisingly tasty thing
Chopped onions and chopped (unpeeled) apple, cooked until just soft, add a little seasoning then stir in tomato ketchup. Top it with cooked spaghetti and cover in cheese sauce. You can add a little extra grated cheese and / or paprika then pop in the overn or under the grill til the top’s nice and brown.
My gran was born in 1890 but i reckon she was WAY ahead of her time – this is just one of her little gems 😀
Hey Sharon, ah wow!! A gem indeed, and DEFINITELY ahead of her time. Sounds awesome, and thank you for sharing
My family has a recipe pretty close to this. People look at me weird when I mention sour cream cucumbers lol. My family usually has them with potato and cheese pierogies. They are so delicious together but havebto make sure you get a bite of pierogies with the sour cream/ vinegar sauce on it. Yummy but not so healthy. I have made them with Greek yogurt and the turned out pretty good.
Haha! An odd mix indeed, but a great one IMO :D. I’ve never actually tried a pierogie – I guess I’ve missed out! At least I know what to try them with now, thanks!
OMG Dave! You have to try pierogies. Especially the potato and cheese variety but please make sure they are homemade not store bought Mrs Ts .
My family boils the pierogies and then douses them with butter and crispy bacon. So not healthy, but soooooo delicious. The sour cream and vinegar cut thru the fat from pierogies as well as the bacon and butter. I promise you will love them.
They do sound amazing! And naughty 😀 (and without bacon for me) but I bet they’re tasty as!! 😀
JUST LIKE GRANDMA MADE LOVE IT
Was just like our Nanna used to make and simple
Was fresh and delicious.
When you say cream what do you mean? Whipping cream, heavy cream???
Hi Kristie, yes sorry! Heavy cream!