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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Barb Greenwood
I love this cucumber salad! It is so easy to make and so tasty! It was a regular side at our meals when I was growing! Thank for the reminder.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Barb!
Cyndee
I actually love cucumbers and I think they’re a refreshing vegetable. This salad was delicious and easy to make. I served it with bratwurst and everyone loved it!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Cyndee! I am so glad that everyone liked it!
Jill Oliver
My German grandmother used to make a very similar salad, she didn’t use dill though because to be honest I think women of her era kind of didn’t use too many spices. She also would let the cucumbers sit in vinegar overnight before doing the next step.
This looks wonderful and I would love to make it , mainly because I adore dill.
Beth Pierce
I adore dill!
Laura L
I absolutely love cucumber salads and this one was amazing. Creamy and so delicious! I can’t wait to make it again.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Laura! We love it too!
Campbell
Your German cucumber salad recipe is a refreshing and delightful addition to any meal! The crispness of the cucumbers paired with the creamy dressing creates a perfect balance of flavors. It’s not only delicious but also easy to make. Well done my friend.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Campbell!
Stephanie Anderson
This is such a refreshing and new way to serve cucumbers! A delish and easy to make side dish – looking forward to making again with cucumbers from my garden this summer.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! I hope you enjoy it all summer long!
Benjamin L
This cucumber salad is my new favorite. I love the tang and the bite of the onions with the coolness of the cucumbers. Really good!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Benjamin!
Katja
Hi,
German here… my Grandma used to make this salad and I learned to make it from her… little tipp, pour a teaspoon of salt over the cucumbers after slicing them and let them sit for a while, drain them and then pour the marinade over it… the salad will be better 😉
jupiter hadley
Oh wow this sounds a lot like a potato salad but healthier! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Yeah Lifestyle
Such a refreshing salad and I bet this would be perfect for summer bbqs as well, can’t wait to try making this over the weekend
Laura
Yum! Cucumber is one of those veggies that you often take for granted but it can be so delicious.
Beth Pierce
So true!
Melissa Cushing
I have never tried a recipe like this but would love to! I am pinning this recipe to make for my family this week 😉
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
Risa Lopez
This recipe was simple and yummy! I made it over the weekend and whole family enjoyed it.
Tammy
Mm what a perfectly refreshing summer salad. My mom loves cucumbers so I made it for her. She loved it!
Mosaic Art
This looks sooooo good! I love salads, especially salads that are fresh…I would have them daily.
Rhian Westbury
We have a mandolin too as there’s no way I’d be able to chop things so finely and not hurt myself or take forever doing it. This is perfect for the heat the UK seems to be having now x
Beth Pierce
Understood! It is warm here too. I love my mandoline.