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Million Dollar Cucumber Salad

million dollar cucumber salad is a crisp, cool cucumber dish with a tangy-sweet creamy dressing. After a quick salt-and-drain step and a short onion mellowing soak, the cucumbers stay crunchy and the dressing clings for a fresh, creamy bite.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
drain/mellow 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 245
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cucumber base
  • 3 English cucumbers Thinly sliced into rounds.
  • 1 tsp kosher salt For drawing out moisture; use to salt cucumbers.
  • 0.5 red onion Thinly sliced; half of a small onion.
Creamy dressing
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried dill Or use 1 tbsp fresh dill/1 tbsp fresh dill or parsley if preferred.
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chives or parsley Fresh, chopped; for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 colander

Method
 

Prep the cucumbers and onion
  1. Slice the English cucumbers into thin rounds, place them in a colander, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss to coat, then let drain at room temperature for 15–20 minutes to remove excess water.
  2. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow the sharpness. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.
  3. Pat the cucumber slices dry with paper towels. This helps the dressing stay creamy instead of watery.
Make and assemble the salad
  1. Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, honey, garlic powder, dill, and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust with more vinegar for tang or more honey for sweetness.
  2. Combine the cucumber slices and red onion in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss until fully coated.
  3. Top with chopped fresh chives or parsley. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving for even better flavor (best same day).

Notes

Pro tip: drying the salted cucumbers well is what keeps this salad crisp after tossing. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 hours for best texture; it’s best consumed the same day. Freezing is not recommended. For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt in place of half the sour cream while keeping the mayonnaise amount the same to maintain the creamy dressing texture.