My classic creamy German Cucumber Salad made with sour cream and dill is so delicious and is super quick and easy to make. A favorite side dish to German schnitzel, frikadellen, or German grilled meats such as Schwenkbraten or Grillfackeln. You can never go wrong with this Gurkensalat recipe.
About German Cucumber Salad
There are two types of German cucumber salad that are very common in Germany. The first is made with an oil-based vinegarette and the other is the creamy variety that we are showing today. Here the salad dressing is made often from sour cream, yogurt, or cream.
Ingredients:
- English cucumber - This is the most common type of cucumber used for German cucumber salad. They are a little firmer than American cucumbers and contain fewer seeds. But you can also use other types of cucumbers if you prefer.
- sour cream: essential for the light and creamy salad dressing. The German sour cream (Sauer Sahne) is a little less sour than the American equivalent. You can always add a little Greek yogurt to balance it out.
- lemon juice - together with the cider vinegar it adds a nice fruity sour touch to the dressing.
- cider vinegar
- agave syrup - you can replace the agave syrup with sugar
- salt
- dill
How to make Creamy German Cucumber Salad
- Slice the cucumber: If you want you can peel the cucumber. Otherwise, just clean them with a brush and then finely slice them. You can either do this by using a simple kitchen knife or a vegetable mandolin. With a mandolin, you can achieve especially thin and even slices.
- Place the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with approx 2 teaspoons of salt. This will draw out the excess water, so you can avoid your salad from becoming soggy. Leave the cucumber to drain for around 30min to an hour.
- In the meantime prepare the dressing. In a large bowl combine the sour cream, lemon juice, cider vinegar, agave syrup (or sugar), and dill and stir until combined.
- Pour over the cucumber slices and adjust the taste with salt and pepper. (Careful with the salt, as you already salted the cucumber to drain the excess water)
- Store in the fridge until ready to be served.
What to serve with Cucumber Salad?
Gurkensalat is a great side dish for fish and meat dishes. I like to serve it along my Wiener Schnitzel, Goulash, or Königsberger Klopse. However, it also goes well with vegetarian dishes such as Käsespätzle or this vegetable Strudel.
Prepare in advance
You can prepare this salad up to a day in advance. The best way is to drain the cucumbers of excess liquid as described in the recipe. This way they can keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Store the salad dressing in a separate container, and combine just before serving.
Storage
You can keep any leftovers of this German cucumber salad in the fridge for up to two days. Store in an airtight container. Be aware that with time the salad will become more liquidy and eventually lose its flavor. So it's best you do not store it for too long.
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Creamy German Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 200 g sour cream ¾ cup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon agave syrup can be replaced with sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- pepper
Instructions
- Start by washing the cucumber under a tap and then slicing it into approx 2 mm slices using either a mandolin or a sharp knive.2 English cucumbers
- Place the cucumber slices into a colander and cover with the salt. Mix the slices carefully with your hand and leave to rest for approximately 30 minutes. The salt will draw out the excess liquid of the cucumber. So place the colander in a bowl so it will catch up the liquid.2 teaspoon salt
- In the meantime prepare the dressing. In a large bowl combine the sour cream, lemon juice, cider vinegar, agave syrup (or sugar), and dill and stir until combined.200 g sour cream, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 2 tablespoon chopped, 1 teaspoon agave syrup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pour over the cucumber slices and adjust the taste with salt and pepper. (Careful with the salt, as you already salted the cucumber to drain the excess water.)
- Store in the fridge until ready to be served.
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