Retro Cucumber Dill Salad
I eat cucumbers almost every day and truth be told, they are usually consumed raw, simply sliced and incorporated into a green salad. This Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad was inspired by two things: the pretty glass dish in the picture and a mandoline.
Inspiration is Everywhere
I picked up the glass dish at a flea market and it reminded me of a dish that my Nana had in which she used to serve a similar cucumber salad. This was enough inspiration to get me to make the dish.
Then I was thinking about how slicing all of the cucumbers thinly and evenly really makes this dish and, as luck would have it, the Test Kitchen had recently been sent a small, very portable mandoline to try. Oh yeah! The universe was practically begging me to make this creamy fresh salad.
We used our Mistral Mandoline; you can read the complete review here.
Choose Your Veggies Right
You can make this with any cucumbers but I find that the small Persian type or the long hothouse cucumbers, both with very few seeds, are best.
You want to minimize wateriness in this dish so that the creamy part can really shine and this is best accomplished with seedless cucumbers and salting and draining them lightly before combining with the dressing.
Also, fresh dill is a must. And don’t be afraid of the amount. The fresh herb is light and fluffy and the quarter cup is truly the amount that you want. Here is our salad out on the deck to the Test Kitchen.
Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad
This is a cool and creamy salad that features fresh sliced cucumbers and lactose free dairy.
Ingredients:
- 3 small 6-inch (15 cm) (3-ounces/85 g each) Persian cucumbers, ends trimmed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch salt
Creamy Dressing:
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) lactose-free sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) lactose-free plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup (11 g) chopped freshly dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped scallions, green parts only
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt
Preparation:
-
Use a mandoline or a sharp knife to slice the cucumbers crosswise into very thin rounds, about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick. Place cucumbers in a mixing bowl and toss with the 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar, kosher salt and pinch of sugar. Let sit for about 20 minutes or until juices exude. Drain well in a wire mesh strainer, gently pressing cucumbers with a silicone spatula; discard liquid.
-
For the Dressing: In a large mixing bowl gently whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, dill, chives, scallions, vinegar and sugar until smooth. Fold the cucumbers in. Taste and season with salt, if desired. Salad is ready to serve or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Stir gently before serving to recombine cucumbers and dressing. The salad will last longer but the cucumbers will lose some of their texture. We like this as a side dish to grilled food or even piled onto a sandwich.
Notes:
Tips
- If you want to use common cucumbers, you can. Just go by weight and make sure to peel and seed completely.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
And one more bonus pic of the view that day. Take at least one moment every day to take in your surroundings and breathe!
Looking for hearty main dish salads? Be sure to read: Make Salad The Star Of The Show With These 25 Main Dish Low FODMAP Salads Recipes.
Oh wow! Another winner here! This salad is going on my quickly-growing “keeper” list from Fodmap Everyday! Thank you! This is fabulous! And so easy!
So easy and fresh dill will be plentiful soon in our US markets!