German Cucumber Salad

This delectable sour cream-based German Cucumber Salad, also known as gurkensalat, is made with a little more than a handful of ingredients in less than fifteen minutes. This easy dish has all the great flavors of your German grandmother’s salad.

Traditional German Cucumber Salad

This easy and delicious German cucumber salad is the perfect side dish for your summer BBQs. With fresh cucumbers, dill, and tangy sour cream, it’s the perfect refreshing addition to any meal. It is a delicious side dish for your summer BBQ and grilling entrees. However, if you want to keep the meal more traditional, in Germany, they serve it with pork schnitzel, beef rouladen, or sauerbraten.

German Cucumber Salad Ingredients

For this recipe, you need sour cream, sugar, white vinegar, fresh dill, English cucumbers, yellow onion, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

How to make German Cucumber Salad

Start by slicing your cucumbers and onions very thin. I use a mandolin, but with a little patience and a sharp knife, it can be done without one. Then, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, white vinegar, and dill in a small bowl. Gently stir it into the sliced cucumbers and onions. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Tips

• A mandolin is an excellent way to slice the cucumbers and onions into thin, uniform pieces.
• Fresh dill is best in this salad as it is flavorful and fragrant. However, in a pinch, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of dried dill.
• Chill the salad for a couple of hours before serving.
• English cucumbers work best for this salad. Their skins are less tough, so peeling is not necessary, and the seeds are so small they are barely noticeable. Smaller seeds also mean less water and better texture.
• If less moisture in the salad is desired, sprinkle the cucumbers with a teaspoon of salt and place them in a colander to drain for about an hour. Then, dry with a paper towel before proceeding with the recipe. 
• Other fresh herbs that taste great in this salad include chives and parsley. Or add a clove of pressed garlic.
• You can substitute white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar for the white vinegar. 
• Serve this dish with a slotted spoon.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

What are English cucumbers?

English cucumbers, also known as seedless cucumbers, are long, thin cucumbers with seeds that are so small they are hardly noticeable. They are individually wrapped in clear plastic and are available at most local grocery stores in the produce section next to the other cucumbers. They are great for cucumber tomato salad, Asian cucumber salad, and cucumber sandwiches because their skins are tender, and their seeds are minimal.

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