German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)
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A classic German Cucumber Salad recipe, like the kind you’ll find in every German restaurant. Easy to make, healthy, delicious, and wonderfully refreshing!
Eating this cool and crunchy cucumber salad always reminds me of Germany. It’s commonly included as part of any Salatteller (salad plate) in German restaurants. A Salatteller will often feature a serving of carrot salad, radish salad, lettuce greens, potato salad and this cucumber salad. They’re the best salads ever!
While creamy cucumber salads are also popular in Germany, this oil- and vinegar-based version tends to be served more frequently in restaurants, at least where I’m from in southern Germany.
In Germany you can buy dry dill dressing mixes that come in small envelopes, often the Knorr brand. You add oil and vinegar and add it to your cucumber salad or leafy greens. But you can so easily make it from scratch – and it won’t have any of the fillers, additives and preservatives in it!
German Cucumber Salad Recipe
Let’s get started!
Peel the cucumbers and slice them the same width and place them in a medium-sized non-reactive bowl. I like to use my German mandolin for jobs like this to get uniform slices. Plus it goes a lot faster.
Place the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and toss with a heaping teaspoon of salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes then drain thoroughly.
Place the cucumbers in a medium-sized bowl.
To make the dressing, combine all the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine.
Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumbers and stir to combine. Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving, stirring a couple of times. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Can be served cold or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Be sure to also try our Creamy German Cucumber Salad!
Serve this German Cucumber Salad with any meat, poultry or fish. For example:
- Schnitzel
- Jaegerschnitzel
- Rouladen
- Sauerbraten
- Senfbraten
- German Goulash
- Frikadellen
- Bratwurst
- Lentils and Spaetzle
- German Goulash
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German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)
Ingredients
- 3 medium cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced into rounds (if the cucumbers aren't waxed you can leave the peels on for more color)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives optional - I don't always include these
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion more concentrated flavor than fresh onion
- 3 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and toss with a heaping teaspoon of salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes then drain thoroughly. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the cucumbers and stir to combine. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving, stirring it a couple of times. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Love this site.I found my favourite salad dressings after a long time.
Thank you so much, Kiran!
Good Stuff!
Yum! This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to make this! Putting the ingredients on the list right now.
Love getting your recipes. I’m from München and we also slice our cucumbers very thin with mandoline, sprinkle salt. let sit 15 minutes, squeeze out water (usually in clean cotton kitchen towel), then a few very thinly sliced onions and then the oil & vinegar sugar (but less than your recipe) a bit of salt & pepper, refrigerate for 1 hour. The salt makes the cucumbers weep but will still exude water but not nearly as much after adding dressing Re-toss & serve. Think I’m going to make some for dinner.
You can use the vinegar, oil, onions, salt and sugar approach for other salads too. I am from Franken (north Bavaria).
We used it for yellow potato salad, tomatoes or wurst salad. For the wurst you can use any leftover lunch meats or even head cheese.
Almost exactly how my mother taught me. She also added some whipping cream and a splash of Maggi seasoning. My sister uses sour cream instead. I pinned several of your recipes including your bratwurst recipe . It’s difficult to find authentic recipes over here. Can’t wait to try it.
BTW I am from Bayern.
I am so happy I found this site!
My mom was from Fussen, Bavaria Germany.
As a child we always had cucumber salad and Bavarian potato salad with schnitzel. I do remember that when she made cucumber salad, she used a lot of salt on the cucumber slices and set it aside. then I remember her squeezing out the sliced cucumbers and a lot of water came out of them I remember she said the reason for the salt was to take the bitterness out of the cucumbers. I can’t wait to try your schnitzel cucumber salad and Bavarian potato salad.
Hi Andrea, I’m so glad you found us too – welcome! I hope you enjoy these recipes and look forward to hearing what you think.
I am of german descent but my husbands parents came to Canada from Germany in the 50’s. As I child I vaguely remember eating some type of salad with cucumbers. My first dinner with my inlaws, my mother in law served her cucumber salad. It was a creamy one. I fell in love instantly so I asked her for the recipe. Hers is pretty mucj like yours but uses sour cream instead of oil.
I tried your version and find it just as appealing.
Thank you, Christine, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I like both equally as well and make them interchangeably. Thanks again for the feedback!