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    Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill

    Published: Jun 13, 2022 · Modified: Aug 18, 2022 by Kristi · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill deserves a frequent place on your summertime dinner table. So uniquely cool, crisp and refreshing, cucumbers are a welcome elixir on a hot sultry day. Toss them with a creamy lemon and dill vinaigrette, and you've got a fresh, versatile summer salad to go alongside just about anything.

    This updated version of a traditional creamy cucumber salad with dill is a real winner...light, refreshing and bright thanks to the addition of lemon. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions for making this Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill at home. It's so quick and easy and a perfect showcase for fresh cucumbers!

    Lemon cucumber salad in a white bowl.

    Why This Recipe Works

    This Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill is an updated version of a salad my mother served nearly every night during the summer. I wanted something similar to hers but with a modern, fresh feel. This recipe works because:

    • The cucumbers are salted to remove some of their moisture which creates a crisp (rather than soggy) salad.
    • The cucumbers are tossed in a lemony vinaigrette style dressing that contains a modest amount of sour cream. This makes for a light, refreshing salad that isn't overly cream heavy.

    The Ingredients

    Labeled ingredients for Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill.
    • Use an English (or seedless) cucumber if you can find one. They don't have seeds in the center so they are easy to work with. Garden cucumbers are a fine substitution, but you may choose to halve them first to remove the seeds from the center.
    • Coarse salt (such as kosher salt) helps draw moisture from the cucumbers keeping them nice and crispy.
    • The zippy vinaigrette gets its flavor from fresh dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and white wine vinegar.
    • Sour cream provides just a touch of creaminess (not too much....the dressing has a very light feel to it).
    • Extra-virgin olive oil provides the base of the dressing.

    How To Make This Recipe

    • Begin by slicing the cucumber into thin rounds. Transfer them to a colander and toss with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Let them sit for around 30 minutes.
    Sliced cucumbers in a metal colander with a rubber spatula.
    • In the meantime, make the dressing. Combine the shallot and the white wine vinegar in a medium bowl.  Let sit for about 10 minutes to mellow out the shallot flavor. Add the sour cream, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill to the bowl and whisk until combined.
    Lemon and dill dressing in a glass bowl with a whisk.
    • Transfer the cucumbers to a sheet pan lined with paper towels.  Pat dry, taking care to wipe away any salt that remains on the surface of the cucumbers. Add the cucumbers to the vinaigrette and toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. You may not need any salt because we salted the cucumbers previously. Be sure to taste before seasoning. Chill the salad until ready to serve!
    Slices of cucumber on paper towels in a rimmed baking sheet.
    Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill in a glass bowl with a spoon.

    Expert Tips

    Cucumber salads are meant to be simple, but there are a few steps that take this one from good to great:

    • Use English cucumbers if you can find them. Also known as seedless cucumbers, English cucumbers make an elegant salad as there is no need to cut them in half and remove the seeds first. Garden cucumbers will also work just fine in this salad, and it is really just a matter of personal preference whether or not you want to remove the seeds prior to eating them.
    • Salt the cucumbers to draw out some of the moisture. Cucumbers are more than 90% water. Sprinkling them with salt and letting them sit for 30 minutes or so helps draw some of that water out of the cucumber and ultimately leads to a more crisp, delicious salad. An extra step, yes, but one definitely worth taking.
    • Pat the cucumbers dry. Once you've let your salted cucumbers sit, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a non-terry kitchen towel. Pat them dry and wipe off any remaining salt prior to tossing them with the vinaigrette. Again, this just ups the crisp factor in the final product.

    FAQs

    How do I store this cucumber salad?

    Store the salad tightly covered in the refrigerator. It can be prepared up to a day ahead of time, and leftovers will keep for another couple of days as long as they are tightly covered in the refrigerator.

    What kind of cucumbers are best for a salad?

    English (or seedless) cucumbers make an excellent choice for a salad as there is no need to cut them in half and remove the seeds first. Garden cucumbers have more prominent seeds in the center. They will also work just fine in this salad, but you may want to halve the cucumbers and scrape out the seeds with a metal spoon prior to eating them. The seed aren't harmful, it's more a matter of personal preference whether you choose to remove them or not.

    How do I keep cucumbers crispy in a salad?

    Salting the cucumbers and letting them drain in a colander for 30 minutes or so prior to tossing with the dressing helps to draw out some of their moisture which ultimately leads to a crispier salad.

    Serving Suggestions

    While this Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill makes an excellent side dish, it is also perfectly capable of being the star of the show. Consider topping some crispbread with a heaping spoonful of cucumber salad for lunch, or better yet, start with a bed of sliced avocado! A delicious Nordic summertime riff on avocado toast.

    Lemon Cucumber Salad on crackers.

    My personal favorite way to serve this salad is in a simple bowl with hearty whole grains, garden vegetables and sliced avocado. I used brown rice in my bowl, pictured below, but barley or farro would both be delicious here.

    Cucumber salad, avocado, spinach, cherry tomatoes and rice in a bowl next to a fork.

    Related Recipes

    Looking for more Scandinavian-inspired summer salads? Give these blog favorites a try:

    • Close up of Herbed Potato Salad with Capers and Pickled Golden Beets.
      Herbed Potato Salad with Capers and Pickled Golden Beets (No Mayo)
    • Swedish Marinated Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad next to a fork and napkin.
      Swedish Marinated Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad
    • A bowl of barley salad with corn, zucchini and tomatoes
      Summer Harvest Barley Salad with Corn, Zucchini and Tomatoes
    • Roasted beet salad on a platter next to a napkin.
      Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula, Rye and Creamy Herbed Skyr Sauce

    I hope you have a chance to try this Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill sometime soon! It's sure to become a summertime favorite. And please let me know if you do in the comments below! I love hearing from you.

    Recipe

    Close up of lemon cucumber salad (featured image).

    Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill

    A deliciously simple summer salad with crisp cucumbers and a creamy lemon dill vinaigrette.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: salads
    Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
    Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
    refrigerate: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 -4 servings
    Calories: 120kcal
    Author: Kristi

    Ingredients

    • 1 large English cucumber or 2 medium garden cucumbers, unpeeled and sliced thin (see note below)
    • 1 tsp coarse salt + more for seasoning
    • 1 shallot minced
    • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
    • 2 tbsp sour cream
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • lemon zest finely grated zest from one lemon
    • 2 tsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
    • freshly ground pepper

    Instructions

    • Transfer cucumber slices to a colander and sprinkle with salt.  Toss to coat evenly  Let the cucumbers sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dressing. 
    • Combine the shallot and the white wine vinegar in a medium bowl.  Let sit for about 10 minutes to mellow out the shallot flavor. Add sour cream, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill to the bowl and whisk until combined.
    • Transfer the cucumbers to a sheet pan lined with paper towels.  Pat dry, taking care to wipe away any salt that remains on the surface of the cucumbers. Add the cucumbers to the vinaigrette and toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. You may not need any salt because we salted the cucumbers previously. Be sure to taste before seasoning.  
    • Cover and chill until ready to serve.  This salad is best after it has had a chance to chill for 30 minutes or so.  It can be made several hours or up to a day ahead of time.

    Notes

    *English cucumbers are a nice choice here because they are seedless.  If you are using garden cucumbers, particularly if they have large seeds, you might consider slicing them in half lengthwise and removing the seeds with a spoon prior to continuing with the recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 1174mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @TrueNorthKitchen or tag #truenorthkitchen!

    If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.

    More Nordic/Scandinavian Salad Recipes

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    Comments

    1. Kristi says

      June 13, 2022 at 10:46 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and refreshing summer recipe!

      Reply
    2. Carly C. says

      July 19, 2020 at 2:13 pm

      Perfect summer day recipe with cucumbers from the garden. Thank you Kristi!

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        July 20, 2020 at 10:52 am

        Thanks for the feedback, Carly! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote

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