I don’t know about you, but I love a lettuce-free salad. Nothing against lettuce, but sometimes you just want to switch things up! This creamy cucumber salad is such a great alternative to more traditional salads. It is a super healthy, low calorie side dish you’ll want to eat all summer long. It’s inspired by Greek Tzatziki Sauce, but much faster and easier to make and you eat it with a fork rather than use it as a dip or spread. The creamy dressing is made healthier than other creamy salad dressings. The base is Greek yogurt and extra-virgin olive oil. It has a touch of honey (instead of sugar) for a hint of sweetness, and apple cider vinegar to add a bit of zing without being overpowering. It’s finished off simply with salt and pepper and plenty of fresh dill. The salad base is nothing more than sliced cucumbers (I recommend English), as well as some very thinly sliced red onion (which you can leave out if you prefer). Toss everything together and you’ve got yourself a real treat the whole family will devour! Seriously – my kiddos could not get enough of it. And the recipe is so easy my littlest, Eleanor (3) even helped me out.
How to make creamy cucumber salad
Just whisk together the dressing in a large bowl, add sliced cucumbers and onion, and mix together! For full ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down for the full recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
Feel free to use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt. If you use regular yogurt (non-Greek) you may find the results too thin/watery. Onions may be omitted if you like, or subbed with green onions for a more mild flavor. Lemon juice may be substituted for the apple cider vinegar. Honey may be omitted or subbed with another sweetener like agave or regular sugar.
Why English cucumbers are best
English cucumbers are those really long, skinny cucumbers with the wrinkled skin you see at your grocery store usually wrapped in plastic. I love using English cucumbers for cucumber salads because their taste is a bit sweeter, their skin more delicate and less bitter, and they have fewer seeds and less water content.
Cucumber salad is best served immediately.
Salt draws moisture out of fruits and vegetables, so the longer the sliced cucumbers sit in the dressing (which contains salt), the more moisture will be drawn out of them. This results in a watery dressing and mushy cucumbers.
Other lettuce-free salad recipes
Cucumber Tomato Salad with FetaZucchini Ribbon SaladBeet and Cucumber Salad with FetaBroccoli Salad with ApplesTangy Cucumber Radish Salad
I recommend serving this cucumber salad with bbq chicken or fried halloumi. Did you know commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favorite food bloggers? If you made this recipe or have a question, please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe and/or share photos on social media using the hashtag #bowlofdelicious or tagging @bowlofdelicious!
