Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill (French and Baltic Style)
A creamy cucumber salad with dill that stays creamy and never goes watery. The trick is salting the cucumber first, just like my French mother-in-law taught me. Heavy cream, crème fraîche, or sour cream, fresh dill, chives or parsley, and two ways to cut the cucumbers.
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I have been making this classic cucumber salad for years, after first watching my mother-in-law make her version of it in Le Havre, always in the same beige bowl, long cucumber ribbons peeled with a vegetable peeler or thinly sliced rounds, curly parsley scattered on top at the last moment.
This post covers both the French version with crème fraîche and the Latvian one with sour cream and dill, plus everything you need to know about which cream works best. My kids grew up eating it alongside everything from roast chicken to quiche Lorraine, and it is still one of the first things I make when cucumbers are growing in the garden.
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The ribbons look really elegant in a bowl. My kids called the ribbon version spaghetti cucumber when we lived in France and thought it was the best thing to ever happen to a vegetable. You can read more about my French and Latvian cooking background here.
What is Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill?
A dill and cucumber salad is one of the simplest things you can make. Thinly sliced cucumber, lightly salted to draw out the water, then tossed with a creamy dressing and dill and/or other fresh or dried herbs. It shows up in French kitchens, Latvian kitchens, Lithuanian kitchens, Polish kitchens, and pretty much every other European kitchen that has ever grown a cucumber 🙂. The biggest difference is which cream is used.
Table of contents
- What is Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill?
- Which Cream Should You Use?
- Ingredients for Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill
- Ingredient Notes
- Equipment
- How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Tips for the Best Cucumber and Dill Salad
- The French Version and the Latvian Version
- What to Serve with Creamy Cucumber Salad
- How to Store Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to Make Next
Which Cream Should You Use?
This is the most useful thing I can tell you about this salad. Heavy cream, crème fraîche, and sour cream are all on the same continuum. The further along you go from heavy cream to sour cream, the tangier it gets.
- Heavy cream (called thickened cream in Australia) gives the most delicate, old-fashioned result. Loose, slightly sweet, lets the cucumber and dill come through very cleanly. No mayo, no vinegar, just cream, dill, salt and pepper. Really lovely, particularly with fresh dill.
- Crème fraîche is the classic French choice. Richer and thicker, with a very gentle tang. If you can’t find crème fraîche, equal parts sour cream and heavy cream stirred together works really well as a substitute.
- Sour cream is the Baltic and Latvian version. Slightly tangier and sharper, and what my grandmother always used. Paired with plenty of fresh dill, it tastes exactly like the cucumber salads I grew up eating on her side of the family.
- Greek yogurt also works well as a substitute for either crème fraîche or sour cream. Tangier and lighter, less creamy, and a lovely breakfast option if you’re serving this as part of a morning spread.
None of them need mayo. The European versions never use it, and honestly the flavor is better without it.
My recommendation: Sour cream is the one I reach for most often. It’s what I use when I’m serving this with something rich and hearty like a baked potato, Latvian kotletes or roast chicken. Or as part of a Baltic table with lots of small salads, like this Latvian radish sour cream salad with dill or this Baltic red cabbage salad with lemon and dill dressing. Sour cream is also generally cheaper than crème fraîche, which can be hard to find in some grocery stores, and honestly, the difference is not worth the price. If you want it a little less tangy, just stir in a small splash of heavy cream and you’re basically there.
Greek yogurt is worth trying too. I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of plain Greek yogurt on its own, but with cucumbers and dill it’s a completely different thing. It’s actually really good 🙂.
One thing worth knowing if you have Latvian roots or just want to try something a little different: a small splash of kefir stirred into the sour cream version is a traditional Latvian touch. It adds extra tang and is great for your gut health too. If you would like to know more about Latvian food, check out my Latvian Food Guide.
Ingredients for Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill
Serves 6. Full quantities and measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Cucumbers
- 1 tsp Salt (5g) to draw out the water
- Sour cream, heavy cream, crème fraîche, or full-fat Greek yogurt
- Fresh or dried dill, chives, spring onion, or parsley, finely chopped (about 10g)
- Black pepper
- Fresh lemon juice (Optional for the crème fraîche or sour cream versions)
- Cherry tomatoes (optional)
- Kefir (Optional) stirred into the sour cream version for a traditional Latvian touch
Ingredient Notes
Cucumbers – English cucumbers are the best choice: thinner skins, fewer seeds, clean flavor, and no need to peel. Persian cucumbers are also great, smaller and crisp with almost no seed section. Fresh cucumbers straight from the garden are lovely here too if you grow them, though garden cucumbers often have more seeds and thicker skins so peel them and scoop out the seed section before slicing if needed.
Herbs – Fresh dill is my first choice, partly because of my Latvian roots where it goes into almost everything. The French version is typically made with just parsley or chives, sometimes no herbs at all and just a bit of parsley sprinkled on top. You can leave them out altogether and it still works. Just avoid anything strong or aromatic like oregano, basil, or tarragon. You can also make creamy cucumber salad with dried dill. Just use one-third of the fresh quantity and let the salad sit for 10 minutes before serving so the dried dill has time to soften and release its flavor.
Lemon juice – A tiny squeeze works well in the crème fraîche or sour cream versions. Skip it for the heavy cream version as it can make the cream split, and the sweetness is nicer without it anyway.
Salt – One teaspoon to draw the water out of the cucumbers. You rinse most of it back off.
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler (or vegetable slicer)
- Colander or mesh strainer
How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Cut the cucumber
- Thin slices: Around 3mm. Quick, classic, and what you find in French homes and Latvian kitchens alike. A sharp knife works well, or use a mandoline for very even, paper-thin slices.
- Long ribbons: Run a vegetable peeler firmly from one end of the cucumber to the other in long, even strokes. You get wide, floppy strips that look elegant and feel completely different in the mouth. Rotate as you go and stop when you reach the seedy core. This is my mother-in-law’s method. Fair warning: if you have kids at the table, the spaghetti cucumber is pretty entertaining for them.
- Salt and drain
The plate method: Lay the cucumber slices flat on a plate, sprinkle with salt, place a second plate on top and press down firmly. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes, then tilt over the sink to drain. This draws out more water than the colander method and gives a slightly denser result. This is how my mother-in-law did it.
The colander method: Place the cucumbers in a colander, sprinkle with one teaspoon of salt, toss, and leave for 15 minutes. Don’t skip this step if you have time.
Can you make the salad without salting? Yes, and it will still taste great. BUT, if you can salt the cucumbers, then do it. I’ve made this traditional creamy cucumber salad so many times and the salting step is the one thing that really makes a difference. The salt draws out a lot of water from the cucumbers and changes the texture. The cucumber becomes denser and the cream stays creamy on the plate and not watery.
- Rinse under cold water and pat dry
Rinse the cucumber under cold water to get rid of the excess salt and then give the cucumber a good squeeze to get rid of the extra water. You can also pat them dry with a clean tea towel.
- Add the cream and herbs
Place the cucumbers in a bowl. Add your cream, most of the fresh and dried herbs (reserving some for the garnish), black pepper, and lemon juice if using. Mix well. Taste before adding any salt, as some may remain on the cucumbers.
- Sprinkle on extra fresh herbs or top with cherry tomatoes
Tips for the Best Cucumber and Dill Salad
Fresh dill is my first choice here and I’d really encourage you to use it if you have it. That said, the French version is often made with just parsley or no herbs at all, so don’t stress if dill isn’t your thing or you just don’t have any. It’s still a really good salad without it. And you can definitely make creamy cucumber salad with dried dill as well. Not quite as nice as fresh dill, but still very good.
Add the cream close to serving time. Prepare all the parts ahead, mix only when you’re ready to eat.
Garnish last. Fresh herbs wilt quickly once they hit the cream. Scatter them on just before serving. Next day. Drain off any liquid, stir in a fresh spoonful of cream, add halved cherry tomatoes if you have them. Still very good.
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Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill (French and Baltic Style)
Equipment
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Vegetable peeler or vegetable slicer
- 1 Colander or mesh strainer
Ingredients
The salad:
- 2 English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon salt to draw out the water, not for the dressing
The dressing:
- 5 tbsp crème fraîche or sour cream or full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
- 3 tbsp fresh dill chives, spring onion, or parsley finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried dill)
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper or to taste
To finish:
- Extra fresh herbs fresh dill, fresh chives, or curly parsley, to scatter on top
Optional:
- Handful of cherry tomatoes halved if large
- A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice in the dressing
Instructions
- Cut the cucumber. Slice into thin rounds around 3mm, or run a vegetable peeler down the length of the cucumber in long, firm strokes to make wide ribbons. Rotate as you go and stop at the seedy core.
- Salt and drain. Place cucumber slices in a colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, toss, and leave for 15 minutes. This draws out the excess water and makes a real difference to the texture.
- Rinse, drain and dry. Rinse briefly under cold running water. Pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place the drained cucumber in a medium bowl.
- Add the crème fraîche (or sour cream or Greek yogurt), most of the fresh herbs, black pepper, and lemon juice if using to the cucumbers. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Scatter remaining fresh herbs on top. Add tomatoes if using. Serve straight away.
Notes
- English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers work best, thinner skins and fewer seeds than regular cucumbers.
- Do not skip salting the cucumber slices unless you really don’t have the time. It makes such a difference.
- Dress at the last moment. Prepare the parts ahead, mix only when ready to serve.
- Next day: drain any liquid, add a fresh spoonful of crème fraîche, add tomatoes.
- Dried dill: use one third of the fresh quantity.
- You can omit the herbs altogether and it still works really well without them.
- The salt value in the nutrition table will vary according to how much of the salt you rinse out.
Nutrition
The French Version and the Latvian Version
In France, this salad is called “salade de concombre à la crème”. Crème fraîche, herbs used sparingly, served cold in a small bowl before the main course. My mother-in-law in Le Havre usually just scattered a little curly parsley on top, sometimes a few chives. The French approach is restrained. The cucumber and the cream do most of the work.
In Latvia, the same salad is made with sour cream and a generous handful of fresh dill, served as part of a table spread alongside dark rye bread, smoked fish, and whatever else is being served. Not a separate course, just part of the meal. My grandmother’s creamy cucumber salad never had a recipe. She just kept adding dill until it looked right, which was always quite a lot.
Both versions use the same technique. And it’s not just a French and Baltic thing: a German cucumber salad with sour cream and dill is essentially the same recipe, and you find the same idea in Polish and Hungarian cooking too, always the same technique, always the same result. It’s one of those recipes that every European cuisine seems to have arrived at independently.
What to Serve with Creamy Cucumber Salad
This is one of the most versatile side dishes I make. A few ways I use it most:
- As a starter. Serve cold in a small bowl before the main course, the classic French entrée way. It’s a perfect side dish for a summer dinner and works really well before my salmon spinach quiche, a simple roast chicken, or grilled fish. Always with a baguette on the table so you can run it around the bowl at the end. My father-in-law did this every time. Nobody said anything about it. It was just what you did. You can learn more about the way the French eat in my guide to the French table.
- As a side to a Baltic lunch. Serve with sandwiches, lemon pepper drumsticks or use it as a loose dressing over a simple green salad. This salad is the one I often make alongside hot or cold Latvian kotletes.
- As a summer barbecue side. A cool, simple cucumber and cream salad alongside grilled meat is one of the easiest things you can put on a summer table, and it’s an easy recipe to throw together in about 20 minutes including the salting time.
- On a holiday table. With cherry tomatoes on top, the red, white, and green looks really festive. Goes really well alongside my French roast chicken with chestnuts, and it takes almost no time to put together, which is exactly what you want when you’re a bit pressed for time.
Did you know? In Latvia and across the Baltic states, savory breakfasts often look a lot like this. A table of small dishes, open-faced sandwiches on dark rye bread, simple vegetable salads dressed with sour cream, smoked fish, cottage cheese. This creamy cucumber salad with dill fits right in. If you want to try a proper Baltic breakfast spread, these recipes all belong on the same table:
- Carrot salad with seeds
- Red cabbage salad with dill
- Radish salad with sour cream (recipe coming soon)
- Cottage cheese avocado open-faced toast
- Salmon cream cheese toast
- Chicken liver pâté on toast
- Shrimp avocado toast
How to Store Creamy Cucumber Salad
- This salad is best eaten the day it is made, ideally within an hour of dressing.
- Next day: Pour off any liquid that has collected. Stir in a fresh spoonful of sour cream, crème fraîche or cream. Add halved cherry tomatoes if you have them. Still very good.
- Airtight container: If transporting or storing, keep in an airtight container in the fridge. Give it a stir and add a fresh spoonful of sour cream, crème fraîche or cream before serving.
- Do not add the fresh herb garnish until just before serving, even the next day. This keeps the fresh herbs looking pretty 😉
- Do NOT freeze. Cucumbers just do not freeze well at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
A dill and cucumber salad is a creamy cucumber salad made with fresh dill as the primary herb, tossed in sour cream, crème fraîche, or heavy cream. It’s the classic version you find across Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Hungary, where dill and cucumber are a natural pairing. The French version is the same salad made with crème fraîche and lighter on the herbs, sometimes just parsley. Both are versions of the same salad made across Europe for generations.
Honestly, just use whatever you have. Heavy cream gives the mildest, slightly sweet result and a looser texture. Crème fraîche is richer with a gentle tang, the classic French choice. Sour cream is tangiest and the traditional Baltic and Latvian version. Greek yogurt is lighter and works well, especially for breakfast. None of them need mayo.
Yes, and the French and Baltic versions almost never use it. This salad is made with crème fraîche, sour cream, or heavy cream, and the flavor is cleaner and fresher without it. You get more cream, more dill, more cucumber. If you are looking for a creamy cucumber salad without mayo, this is it.
You can make this salad without salting the cucumbers. But, if you want the best results, salt them. Fifteen minutes is all it takes. The salt draws out the excess water, the texture becomes firmer and more satisfying, and the crème fraîche stays creamy on the plate rather than going watery. One thing worth knowing: salting for fifteen minutes does the same job as salting for an hour, so do not stress if you are short on time. If you really cannot wait, skip it altogether, but dress and serve straight away.
Probably the cucumber was not rinsed well enough after salting, or extra salt was added to the dressing without tasting first. Rinse the cucumber well under cold running water after fifteen minutes, pat it dry, and taste the dressing before seasoning.
Yes, and it tastes great. Slightly tangier and a little less rich. This is the Baltic version of the same salad and it is just as good. American sour cream works well.
Yes. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt gives a lighter, fresher dressing. Good if you want something a little less rich than crème fraîche.
The flavor is the same. Thin slices are quicker and more casual. Ribbons look more elegant and are really fun to eat, especially for kids. Use ribbons when you want the salad to look a bit more special.
Almost always the salting step, either skipped or the cucumber slices were not dried well enough after rinsing. There is a lot of water in cucumbers and the salting step makes a real difference. Dress the salad close to serving time. Watery cucumber salad is not hard to fix though. Just drain the water and add a bit more creme fraiche, sour cream or cream.
Yes. Salt, drain, and dry the cucumber a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge. Make the dressing separately in a small bowl. Mix only when ready to serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
It is best eaten the day it is made. That said, it keeps for two to three days in the fridge in an airtight container. By day two it will have released more water. Just drain off the liquid and stir in a fresh spoonful of sour cream, crème fraîche or cream before serving. It will still taste good, just a little softer.
Always cold or at cool room temperature. If it has been in the fridge, ten minutes on the counter before serving is enough. The flavor is better when it is not fridge-cold.
Salade de concombre is the French name for cucumber salad. Salade de concombre à la crème is the creamy version dressed with crème fraîche or cream and fresh herbs, the classic version you find in French homes and cafés.
Instead of using a colander, lay the cucumber slices flat on a plate, sprinkle with salt, then place a second plate on top and press down firmly. The weight draws out more water than draining alone and gives a slightly denser result. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes, then tilt over the sink to drain. This is the method my mother-in-law used in Le Havre.
I love dill and we eat a lot of cucumbers so I’m definitely making this!
I make this all the time. Everyone on my family loves it! Hope you liked it too 🙂
This creamy cucumber salad with dill looks so refreshing. It will be the perfect addition to a summer picnic.
Thanks Karen. Hope you liked it as much as we do!