This Low Carb Creamy Cucumber Salad is easy to make, and super addictive. The secret? Removing some of the water from the cucumbers first!
Several years ago - before we left Minneapolis to move home to Canada - there was this BBQ place we LOVED.
Not only was the meat amazing, they made this fantastic creamy cucumber salad as a side.
I’d never had it before then, but the both of us quickly fell in love, and it became our go-to side when ordering there.
When starting back on low carb and considering all the grilled (or smoked!) possibilities to keep things interesting, my mind went back to that salad.
So I decided to come up with my own version, working within the parameters of my low carb diet.
PS: This is a great side to serve with my Keto Fried Chicken, btw!
About the Cucumbers
I like to use English Cucumbers for this recipe.
The texture - both of the skin and the inside - makes for a nicer salad than regular field cucumbers, IMHO.
That said, you can definitely use field cucumbers if you like. I’d recommend peeling them, for the best texture.
As for the cut, I like the final texture best when I slice the cucumbers to about ¼" thick - your mileage may vary.
If you use a mandoline slicer to slice the cucumbers really thin, you can get more water out of them - more on that in a moment!
How do you keep cucumber salad from getting watery?
I think we can all agree that a watery cucumber salad is a sad, sad thing.
The thing is, cucumbers have a very high water content... and water is drawn out of vegetables by salt.
It’s the same reason that tuna or egg salad can end up with pools of water after a few hours / overnight in the fridge: Salt is pulling water from the celery and onions.
Basically, as soon as you season your cucumber salad, the salt will get to work, drawing liquid from the cucumbers and onions.
I do what I can to prevent that, by removing some of the water content from the cucumbers and onions before assembling the salad.
How?
Using the same force that ruins the salads in the first place- salt!
Tossing the chopped cucumbers and onions with a little salt and letting it sit in a strainer for a bit draws the water out, same as it would from the sauce.
However, as they’re “naked” vegetables, that water can fall harmlessly into a bowl beneath them, with the rest being blotted off with paper towels.
This is a great way to remove a lot of the water, without affecting the flavour.
That said, you won’t remove ALL the water, so this doesn’t put a complete stop to the watering - it just slows it down a bit.
So, while this is best after it sits for 30 minutes or so in the fridge... you may want to consider making it the same day as you need it.
Can you make low carb cucumber salad ahead of time?
I definitely wouldn’t make it more than 24 hours ahead of time. This is a salad that’s best pretty soon after making it.
That said, if you need to work ahead, you can prepare the dressing up to a few days ahead of time, and get those flavours mingling in the fridge ahead of time.
From there, just prepare the cucumbers and dress the salad closer to the serving time.
How to Make Low Carb Creamy Cucumber Salad
Full recipe follows, here's the pictorial walk-through:
Peel the cucumbers if you want to. Slice in half lengthwise, then chop into ¼" slices.
Peel onion, slice very thinly. Chop slices into halves or quarters - you want ¼-⅓ cup of onion slices.
Place cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl. Add salt, toss to coat well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
While waiting, mix together sour cream, dill, mayo (Try my Homemade Keto Mayo!), vinegar, and sweetener. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Once the 10 minutes are up, dump cucumbers and onions out onto some paper towels. Pat dry with more paper towels.
Add cucumber and onion to a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over cucumber mixture, toss gently to coat.
Taste, add more salt and/or pepper, if desired.
Chill until serving.
More Keto Potluck Foods
Looking for low carb options to serve at your next potluck - or bring to a party? I’ve got you covered!
Keto Cabbage Rolls
Loaded Pierogi Dip
Keto Funeral Potatoes
Cauliflower Potato Salad
Keto Stromboli Meatloaf
Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Keto Hummus
Cauliflower Low Carb Mac and Cheese
Cheddar Biscuits [Keto Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits]
Keto Chewy Lemon Bars
Cold Crab Dip [Smoky Bacon Crab Dip]
Crunchy Keto Crackers
Keto Raspberry Coconut Bars
Low Carb Broccoli Salad
Keto Spinach Artichoke Dip
Keto Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze
Chicken Bacon Ranch Armadillo Eggs
Keto Mushroom Turnovers
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Low Carb Creamy Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- Mandoline slicer
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ⅔ cup Sour cream
- ⅓ cup Fresh dill chopped
- 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Stevia sweetener
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the cucumbers if you want to. Slice in half lengthwise, then chop into ¼" slices.
- Peel onion, slice very thinly. Chop slices into halves or quarters - you want ¼-1/3 cup of onion slices.
- Place cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl. Add salt, toss to coat well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- While waiting, mix together sour cream, dill, mayo, vinegar, and sweetener. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Once the 10 minutes are up, dump cucumbers and onions out onto some paper towels. Pat dry with more paper towels.
- Add cucumber and onion to a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over cucumber mixture, toss gently to coat.
- Taste, add more salt and/or pepper, if desired.
- Chill until serving.
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