Cucumber Yogurt Salad
This Cucumber Yogurt Salad is made with fresh cucumber slices and a yummy dill and Greek yogurt dressing. It’s fresh, refreshing, light and oh so delicious!
So my son is obsessed with cucumbers. Often times I cut him an entire cucumber for lunch. No lie! I add a sprinkle of salt and the kid is set for life. To mix things up, I love making this Greek yogurt cucumber salad, or my Cucumber Cream Cheese Bites or Corn Avocado Feta Salad — all are delicious recipes using cucumbers!
Why This Recipe Works
- Creamy cucumber salad. This recipe is really easy to make and I’ve found several avenues to ensure you get a creamy salad (not one that’s water logged).
- Delicious cucumber recipe. Unlike my son, I like to have a bit more pizzaz for my cucumber recipes! What a great way to enjoy cucumbers with a creamy dressing seasoned with some dill, garlic powder, and a splash of vinegar.
- Deconstructed tzatziki salad. If you are a fan of Tzatziki Sauce, then you will love this Greek yogurt cucumber salad! The sauce is inspired by the cucumber yogurt sauce — paired with the crunchy cucumbers (instead of the shredded cucumbers you find in tzatziki) and you’ll be in cucumber heaven!
Ingredient Notes
- Cucumbers: Wash, dry and peel the cucumbers. Then cut in thin slices. If you like cucumbers with skin, then feel free to keep the skin on. You can use English cucumbers or regular cucumbers.
- Sweet Onion: I opt for sweet onion to help counter some of the acidity in this cucumber yogurt salad. Feel free to replace with red onion if you’d prefer. Slice thinly.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Feel free to use full fat or nonfat plain yogurt. It adds a deliciously creamy texture to the cucumber salad without having to use sour cream OR mayo!
- Dill Weed: The dill weed adds the perfect flavoring to this cucumber yogurt salad recipe.
- Garlic Powder: Adding a touch of garlic powder will add a flavor dimension to the Greek yogurt sauce.
- Vinegar: The vinegar adds the perfect acidity that balances well with the sweet onion and the touch of sugar in the sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine cucumbers and onion. Add the sliced cucumbers and 1/2 cup sliced onions to a large bowl. Add 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Make the Greek yogurt dressing. In a small bowl, add 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 tsp dill weed, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp vinegar, and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to combine with the cucumbers.
- Drain the cucumber mixture. Place the cucumber and onion mixture in a colander and set over the sink. Rinse with water and let any excess liquid drain. Place the mixture in a salad spinner and spin until mostly dry. Pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large bowl.
- Add the creamy yogurt dressing. Add the dressing to the cucumber and onion mixture and stir to combine. Serve cold and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
The key to making this salad is removing the excess water from the cucumbers. If you fail to do this, the salad will sit in a puddle of water which we don’t want. Hence, we use the salad spinner to whisk off excess moisture AND paper towels.
Best to eat this salad within 6 hours of making it.
This creamy cucumber salad recipe is the perfect side dish to serve with any of my yummy main dishes! It’s light, refreshing, and easy to make! Serve it alongside my Crock Pot Kielbasa and Sauerkraut or my Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches!
You don’t have to peel the cucumbers. If you like cucumbers with skin on, go ahead and keep it that way, just make sure you clean the cucumbers before slicing.
Serve with some fresh dill if you want!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
You can make the creamy Greek yogurt dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days until ready to use.
This creamy cucumber salad is much better when eaten the same day it’s made. But, if you have any leftover salad, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
I wouldn’t freeze this dish.
Recipe FAQs
No, you can leave the skin on if you’d like. And feel free to use whatever type of cucumber you have or that you like.
Yes! Cucumber are high in antioxidants and are great for helping lower blood sugar, helps your digestion and promotes good skin health. Add that with the healthy probiotics in yogurt and you have a delicious and healthy recipe!
I wouldn’t freeze this cucumber yogurt salad just because the cucumbers will go mushy and the yogurt will separate.
If you don’t have a salad spinner, just really try to drain as much of the liquid as possible and then thoroughly pat the cucumbers dry with paper towel. We just want to get rid of as much water content as possible.
More Salad Recipes
- Acini di Pepe Pasta Salad
- Feta Corn Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Broccoli Caesar Salad
- Baby Potato Salad
Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Ingredients
- 3 large cucumbers - peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup sweet onion - thinly sliced
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Add the sliced cucumbers, onion, and kosher salt to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap, place in fridge, and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Pour cucumber mixture into a colander set over the sink. Rinse the cucumbers and onions with water. (If you fail to rinse the cucumbers the salad will be quite salty). Let excess liquid drain out.
- Place the cucumbers in a salad spinner and spin the cucumbers until mostly dry. Gently pat the cucumbers with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Place cucumbers in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk the Greek yogurt, sugar, dill weed, vinegar, garlic powder, and pepper. Once smooth, pour over the cucumber mixture and stir until cucumbers are covered in the dressing.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Best eaten the same day.
One Comment on “Cucumber Yogurt Salad”
This is very good! It was a great way to use up some cucumbers we had on hand.