Crisp cucumbers and onions are tossed in a simple creamy sour cream dressing for a crunchy and refreshing salad.

Summer weather has finally arrived here in Upstate New York! We’ve already seen a couple of 90 degree days, and have many more forcasted for the the beginning of next week. Our old farmhouse isn’t equiped with central air, which makes cooking when the temperature is at its daily peak uncomfortable, so over the years I’ve figured out a few ways to get dinner on the table without standing over a hot stove. Cold side dishes I can prepare early in the day help me beat the heat in the kitchen, and take advantage of summer’s bountiful fresh vegetables.

Creamy Cucumber Salad is one of those no fuss family favorites. Crisp cucumbers and onions are tossed in a simple creamy sour cream dressing for a crunchy and refreshing salad for a cool and easy side dish, that is the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken.

How to Make Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad is so easy to make, and requires absolutely no cooking! To make this light and refreshing salad you only need a couple of fresh ingredients, cucumbers and dill. The Creamy Cucumber Salad Dressing is made with pantry staples you probably already have!

• If you are using english cucumbers, simply wash and slice the cucumbers into into ¼ inch thick slices.
• Thinly slice a purple onion, if the onion strikes me as extremly potent, I’ll give the onion slices a little soak in ice water to tame any overwhelming onion flavor.
• Mix together the remaining ingredients and gently stir in the sliced cucumbers and onions.

How Long is Cucumber Salad Good For?

Creamy Cucumber Salad is best when served shortly after making it, but it will last several days as long as it is kept cold and covered. The longer this salad sits though the more the cucumbers will weep, making the dressing more watery, and as a result of the cucumber shedding liquids they may also lose some crispness.

What are the Best Cucumbers and Onions to Use in Cucumber Salad?

I personally like to use English Cucumbers for all my salads. English cucumbers are also called seedless or burrless cucumbers. They are usually 10 to 12 inches long and slender and sold in plastic sleeves to protect the thin peel. The more tender peel and lack of seeds in an English Cucumber make prepping cucumbers for salads a breeze. If you’d like to use a garden grown slicing cucumber, which is shorter, fatter, with a thicker skin, and has larger seeds. De-seed and remove the peel of the cucumbers before slicing for salad as the seeds can taste bitter and the peel can be tough.

Purple Onion adds a pleasant color to creamy cucumber salad, but any onion you’d slice for a salad makes a good addition. Sweet onions such as Vidalias, Sweet Spanish and Walla Walla also compliment the cool cucumbers and tangy dressing well.

How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad Weight Watchers Friendly

To make this creamy cucumber salad Weight Watchers Friendly, I use a little less than 1 packet of sugar substitute or enough to equal 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, Hellman’s Light Mayo, and greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Honestly though, even without the lower point substitions this is a light salad.