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While the weather is getting colder, over the past couple of months I’ve really enjoyed making refreshing cucumber dishes from different cuisines! There’s my favorite Indian Cucumber Raita recipe, which is a yogurt-based condiment with some spices. Additionally, I always love a good Greek Tzatziki Sauce for dipping and as a spread in sandwiches & wraps!
Also recently, I’ve been loving making schnitzels! For Oktoberfest, I made Traditional Wiener Schnitzel for the first time, and of course I love to have a good Lemon & Thyme Chicken Schnitzel on rotation, which has been a favorite of mine for many years (and it took me way too long to share the recipe on the blog!). Looking for the perfect side dish to pair with these schnitzels, I wanted to make something that was actually authentic and German. After doing some research, the Gurkensalat was one of the perfect German sides for schnitzel!
Now why is this salad German? Well, it’s the preparation method and the flavor profile that includes some sweetness and tartness makes it a wonderful pair for hot meat dishes. In addition, this salad is an excellent summer salad because it cools down your palate with the refreshing properties of cucumber and cold yogurt, but we’ve still got a punch from vinegar, seasoning, and dill! If German cuisine is new to you too then I definitely recommend you give this simple cucumber salad a go as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! To get started for free, be sure to sign up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my latest recipes sent straight to your inbox!
To get all the tips and tricks and follow along with this refreshing authentic Gurkensalat recipe, check out the video! If you’re not already, it would mean a lot if you would please subscribe to my YouTube! Don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all my new video recipes are live along with the written ones! Let’s get started!
Is this Gurkensalat Healthy?▼
Yes, I don’t see how it would not be! Cucumbers themselves are very light and easy to digest, plus they’re excellent for hydration and skin health. Furthermore, we’ve got good calcium from the yogurt, and depending on which yogurt you choose, you can get healthy fats and even protein to keep you full. Otherwise, that’s it! Very few calories for a lot of food, plus plenty of vitamins and other nutritious goodies are packed in here!
Why You’ll Love This Gurkensalat!
- Light and healthy: This recipe is quite low-calorie and not heavy on the stomach, making it the perfect side dish.
- Simple to make: Most of the work comes from cutting the cucumber and straining the cucumber water out. Afterward, it’s just mixing!
- Minimal ingredients: Very few ingredients are needed to make this salad, and perhaps you already have everything already!
- Versatile side dish: While this is a German salad recipe, there’s nothing stopping you from mixing and matching it with other dishes! When filming this recipe, I actually had it with some baked Cajun-style salmon, and some Alfredo pasta! The meal went quite well and it was really balanced, and the salad complemented the heat from the fish. Check out plenty of serving suggestions later on in this post!
Dietary Information for This Gurkensalat Recipe
This Gurkensalat is…
- Vegetarian
- Low-carb
- Gluten-free
What’s the Best Cucumber to use for This Gurkensalat?▼
My recommendation is to use English cucumbers. This is because they are more mild in flavors and you don’t have to worry about removing seeds. However, as I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen Make Cooking Fun!, you should use what you already have on hand before going out to the store to buy something new if it’s a suitable substitute! In this case, if you do have Persian cucumbers, which are small and thin cucumbers (also called “baby cucumbers”), then go ahead and use them! Persian cucumbers are also seedless and they contain very little water, so it’ll be easy to soak up the excess! Your circles will be a bit smaller, but they’ll be very cute!
How Long Do you Keep Gurkensalat in the Fridge Before Serving?▼
You only really need to chill it for about 10 minutes! However, for best results, I recommend you chill it for 30 minutes to 1 hour so that it’s really refreshing and the yogurt thickens up.
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Check out the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD by scrolling to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the full list of recipe ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. You can also scale the recipe based on how many people you’re serving this salad for - this will let you know exactly how many cucumbers you’ll need, plus no need to calculate any ratios!
- English cucumbers: Cut into circles.
- Yogurt: I recommend full fat plain yogurt for the creamiest results.
- Sugar: Some sweetness balances out the tanginess from the yogurt and vinegar.
- Vinegar: Some acidity to complement the sweetness.
- Fresh dill: Chopped.
- Salt and pepper: Always to taste! I recommend freshly ground black peppercorns for best flavor.
How to Make Gurkensalat
Use a mandoline to slice the cucumbers very thin and evenly. Place on a sieve and rub well with salt. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Once the cucumbers have released some of their water, give them a quick squeeze, and rinse well with cold running water to rinse off the salt. Squeeze out the water again.
In the meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the yogurt, dill, vinegar and sugar. Add the cucumbers to the bowl along with a couple shakes of pepper.
Mix well to combine and then taste and adjust for seasoning. Chill for at least 15-30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for an Amazing Cucumber Salad German Style
- You can peel the cucumbers if you want, but the flavor, texture and appearance that the peel provides is excellent, and I don’t think it’s worth removing it!
- If you are not using a mandoline to slice the cucumbers, then you can cut them by hand using a sharp knife, using your index finger as a guide to make thin, even slices. Speed is not a concern, take your time and do it right!
- Rubbing the cucumbers and letting them sit in that salt will help extract a lot of the water out of them. This will make sure that the flavors of the salad are not diluted by the excess water.
- Keep an eye on the water dripping gently through the sieve or the appearance of the cucumbers turning moist due to salt. Washing the excess salt off is important before adding the cucumbers to your dressing!
- The longer that the cucumbers sit in the dressing in the fridge, the softer they will get. I would NOT prepare this for more than a day in advance. Try to serve as fresh as you can. Keep in mind that the salt rub from earlier will make the cucumbers soft.
Variations
- Creaminess: For a more sour flavor, you can use sour cream instead of yogurt.
- Acidity: Instead of regular white vinegar, play with apple cider vinegar.
- Onion: You could also throw in some sliced red onions for more crunch and a stronger flavor.
- Sweetness: If you don’t want to use table sugar, try a sugar-free alternative like Stevia or Splenda.
How to Store This Creamy Salad?▼
Simply store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I wouldn’t keep this for longer than 1 day or else the cucumbers will become soggy.
What to Serve with This Cucumber Salad
- Baked Red Pepper Pesto Salmon
- Bacon & Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Jamaican Jerk Pepper Steak
- Simple Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Greek Souvlaki Chicken Skewers
Creamy Gurkensalat vs. the Vinegar Version
Gurkensalat comes in two classic styles, and this recipe is the creamy version — cool yogurt with plenty of fresh dill, the style especially beloved in southern Germany, where it's often made with a spoonful of sour cream instead. The other classic is a sharp vinegar dressing: just white vinegar or white wine vinegar, a splash of a neutral-tasting oil, a pinch of sugar, and salt — no dairy at all. Both styles are wonderful alongside classic German recipes like schnitzel and bratwurst, and if you'd like a lighter, dairy-free salad, the vinegar version is an easy switch. The salting-and-draining method stays exactly the same either way.
More Easy Swaps and Prep Tips
A few more ways to tweak and nail this salad:
- Herbs: Fresh dill is the classic choice, but if you only have dried dill, one tablespoon does the trick. Chives or parsley take the salad in a different — but still delicious — direction.
- Onion and garlic: Along with the red onions mentioned in the variations above, a few slivers of a small white onion or half a grated clove of garlic add a lovely savory bite to the dressing.
- Mixing: I like to whisk the yogurt, vinegar, sugar and dill together in a separate small bowl first, then stir in the drained cucumbers — the dressing comes together smoothly and coats every slice evenly.
- Salting: A teaspoon or two of salt is plenty for the rub since it all gets rinsed off anyway — its job is simply to draw the liquid out of the cucumbers so the dressing stays creamy, not watery.
- Mandoline safety: If you're slicing on a mandoline slicer, a pair of cut-resistant gloves is a very worthwhile investment for your fingertips!
- Seasoning: Finish with a couple shakes of black pepper and always taste before chilling.
Other Awesome Salad Recipes!
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Gurkensalat is a classic German cucumber salad that's light, creamy, and ready in minutes. Fresh cucumbers, dill, and a tangy dressing make this traditional recipe a refreshing favorite.
No-cook
Rate this recipe ✦
5 min
Prep
30 min
Rest
35 min
Total
4
servings
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
Instructions
- 1
Use a mandolin to slice the cucumbers very thin and evenly. Place on a sieve and rub well with salt. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Use a mandolin to slice the cucumbers very thin and evenly. Place on a sieve and rub well with salt. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.
- 2
In the meantime, in a large bowl add the yogurt, dill, vinegar and sugar. Once the cucumbers have released some of their water, give them a quick squeeze, and rinse well with cold running water to rinse off the salt. Squeeze out the water again and add the cucumbers to the bowl along with a couple shakes of pepper.
In the meantime, in a large bowl add the yogurt, dill, vinegar and sugar. Once the cucumbers have released some of their water, give them a quick squeeze, and rinse well with cold running water to rinse off the salt. Squeeze out the water again and add the cucumbers to the bowl along with a couple shakes of pepper.
Learn the technique - 3
Mix well to combine and then taste and adjust for seasoning. Chill for at least 15-30 minutes before serving.
Mix well to combine and then taste and adjust for seasoning. Chill for at least 15-30 minutes before serving.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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