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.
More Salad Recipes
German Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 English cucumbers sliced thin
- ½ onion sliced thin
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, white vinegar, and dill.
- Gently stir it into a bowl with the sliced cucumbers and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- 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 incredibly 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
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Romy
Love this. Feels so authentic. Looks fresha nd tasty!
Cristina S Petrini
I did not know this simple, fresh and healthy German recipe!
Eden
This salad was so good! The cucumbers and dill made it taste so fresh, loved it!
Toni
This is seriously amazing! I love that it is easy to make and tastes so good!
Julia
This salad is so beautiful in its simplicity!! We loved it!
Allyson Zea
Made this for our BBQ and everyone loved it!
Allyson Zea
Oh my goodness these flavors are incredible! Love making this on the weekend!
Sandi
My hubby was so excited when I made this for him. It tasted great.
Erin
This German Cucumber Salad is most definitely an EPIC side dish! We love it!
Kimberly
The creamy version of German cucumber salad has always been my favorite!
Claire
I love this! It is so refreshing and it satisfy my cravings since I really love salads.
Maria
This side dish is so healthy and perfect for grilling partys <3 I love this! Thank you so much for sharing.
Anjali
This salad was super simple, refreshing and so easy to make! We ate it alongside some grilled sandwiches for dinner today and it was great!
Dannii
This is one of my favourite side dishes. Always a must at a BBQ
Seema Sriram
Summer will be here soon and once I pull out the bbq, this salad will be the first of the sides to try. Looks gorgeous.
Charla
This looks and sound delicious and I bet this salad would make the best side dish for any summertime BBQ.