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French cucumber salad topped with cherry tomatoes and herbs in beige bowl.

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill (French and Baltic Style)

Marissa
This Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill (salade de concombre à la crème) is made with crème fraîche, sour cream or Greek yogurt, fresh dill and herbs, and cucumbers that are lightly salted first so it turns out creamy rather than watery. You can slice it into thin rounds the classic way, or use a vegetable peeler to make long, silky ribbons.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Resting time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Baltic, French
Servings 6 people
Calories 55 kcal

Equipment

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

Serving: 1personCalories: 55kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 493mgPotassium: 174mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 245IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword cucumber salad with creme fraiche, cucumber salad with dill, cucumber salad with sour cream, French cucumber salad, salade de concombre, salade de concombre à la crème
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