There's a lot to be excited about with this Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad - freshly sliced cucumber, dill pickle juice, dill weed, Dijon mustard and cream cheese combine to make one mighty tasty, pickle-forward cucumber salad.
Old fashioned dill cucumber salad recipes typically call for mayonnaise, but cream cheese was the obvious choice for starring in this pickle-forward cucumber salad. A lot of old fashioned recipes also call for the use of vinegar, but I figured why not use pickle juice?
And here we are, with an easy-to-whip-up creamy dill pickle dressing perfect for drenching fresh cucumber slices.
If you love cucumbers, you've also got to check out this cucumber pico de gallo and this Tajin cucumber salsa. Or these cream cheese cucumber sandwiches may be your cup of tea.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cucumbers and dill pickles collide! Thinly sliced and crisp cucumbers get a shower in a super creamy, dill pickle juice spiked dressing. The pair are so happy together in this simple dill cucumber salad.
- It solves the problem of what to do with leftover pickle juice. Leftover pickle juice has SO many uses - and this Dill Cucumber salad is one of them! While leftover pickle juice typically gets used in marinades, it also makes a fantastic pickle salad dressing.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese - Cream cheese makes this one creamy dressing, playing wonderfully with dill and pickle juice.
- Pickle juice - I used Claussen pickle juice, but use your favorite! Just be cautioned to taste the dressing before adding salt as pickle juice brands vary in their use of sodium.
- Dijon mustard - It's grounding here, bringing some earthy and bitter notes to help balance the acid.
- Dill - Use either dried or fresh! I usually reach for dried. If you ever see it, get and try adding some Trader Joe’s Dill Pickle Seasoning - highly recommended to boost the pickle flavor throughout!
- Garlic powder - You could also use a fresh clove of garlic, though I'd use a small one to avoid having the garlic flavor take over.
The dressing will be on the thicker side, which is okay because the cucumbers will still release additional moisture.
Like all dressings, have salt and pepper standing by so you can tweak the final seasoning to taste. And if you feel like making it zesty-er, add in some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. To taste, of course 🙂
- Salt (optional, to taste)
- Black pepper (optional, to taste)
- Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Variations
- Add chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to add some heat. You could also add some fresh jalapeno or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Other add-ins to consider are fresh, thinly sliced jalapenos, celery, or red onion - for crunch and flavor.
- This is a vegetarian-friendly salad, but you can certainly add cured meats to the mix if you’d like - try adding pepperoni or salami!
- Add in a tablespoon of Ranch seasoning to make this a Dill Ranch Cucumber Salad.
How to Make Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad - Directions
Slice cucumbers thin with a mandolin.
- Step 1: Salt and drain cucumbers over a strainer for 15 minutes to remove excess moisture. Rinse the salted cucumbers and strain before combining with sauce.
- Step 2: Add cream cheese, pickle juice, mustard, dill, and garlic powder to a blender and blend until combined, 30-45 seconds. Stir it and blend for a few more seconds if necessary.
- Step 3: Pour creamy sauce over the cucumbers and toss to combine.
- Step 4: Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. For best results, eat within 16 hours.
Top Tips for the BEST Dill Cucumber Salad
Tip 1. Let it rest 30-60 minutes before serving. This recipe is at its absolute best 1 hour after making. The dressing has had time to absorb and the cucumber slices are still crisp.
Tip 2. Thinly slice those cukes. Use a mandolin to create even, thin slices.
Tip 3. Salt those cukes first! Don't skip this step; it helps remove excess moisture.
Tip 4. Taste the pickle juice before making. The pickle juice largely drives the flavor, so choose a pickle juice that tastes good to you - by taking a sip! If you don't like the taste, the other ingredients may not doctor it up enough.
Wondering what else you can do with leftover pickle juice? You can use it to make salad dressings, meat marinades, and so much more.
Equipment Needed
Blender or food processor - to whip up the creamy sauce
Mandolin - for perfectly uniform cucumber slices
Recipe FAQs
English cucumbers are my go to for this salad; they are the seedless ones. You could also use Persian cucumbers. They are smaller than English cucumbers, but they avoid the issue of seed removal.
Not long at all sadly. I recommend eating cucumber salad within 16 hours if possible; after 24 hours the cucumbers will already start becoming pretty soggy. Store leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator.
Of course! Use your mandolin to thinly slice some pickles for inclusion in this dilly cucumber salad.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this cucumber salad? Try these:
If you tried this Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Creamy Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers
- 6 tablespoons cream cheese
- ⅓ cup pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dill dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Slice cucumbers thin with a mandolin.2 English cucumbers
- Salt and drain cucumbers over a strainer for 15 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Rinse the salted cucumbers and strain before combining with sauce.
- Add cream cheese, pickle juice, mustard, dill, and garlic powder to a blender and blend until combined, 30-45 seconds.6 tablespoons cream cheese, ⅓ cup pickle juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon dill dried, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pour creamy sauce over the cucumbers and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.salt and pepper, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. For best results, eat within 16 hours.
Holly
I will always make this dressing for my cucumber salad! Thank you so much!