This Creamy Cucumber and Fennel Salad is so easy and delicious it is bound to be on heavy rotation all summer! It's probaby my most made salad in the summer time. It's refreshing and light, keeps for a few days in the fridge, and it's one I like to make once my own cucumbers really start coming in.
No fennel on hand, or just not your thing? Leave it out and use 2 English cucumbers total instead of 1 to keep the same volume. You'll lose a bit of the anise flavour, but it's still a great crunchy, creamy salad. For a vinegar-based cucumber salad, check out my Thai-Style Cucumber Salad.
Quick Summary: Creamy cucumber & Fennel salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes hands-on, plus a 30 minute salt-and-drain rest
- Serves: 6
- Calories: 67 per serving
- Dietary Info: gluten free, vegetarian, dairy free swap (see substitutions)
- Cook Method: No-cook
- Difficulty: Easy
- Main ingredients: cucumber, fennel, sour cream, dill
- Best for: BBQs, potlucks, make-ahead lunches, alongside grilled mains
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Fresh fennel (anise) - If fennel isn't available use 2 English cucumbers total instead of 1 to keep the same volume, or swap in 2 stalks of thinly sliced celery for a similar crunch. For another way to use fennel try my recipe for a delicious Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel Soup
English cucumber - Thin skin, fewer seeds, so no peeling or seeding needed. Regular field cucumbers work too; just peel and seed them first so the salad doesn't turn watery.
White onion or any sweet onion - Vidalia or a sweet yellow onion both work well. A milder red onion is a fine swap if that's what you have, and it adds a bit of colour.
Sour cream - Full fat plain Greek yogurt makes a slightly tangier, lighter dressing. Choose a dairy-free or lactose-free sour cream alternative to make it dairy or lactose-free.
Fresh dill - Fresh is really worth it here. In a pinch, use a third of the amount in dried dill, added early so it has time to soften. If you love dill then try my Chopped Dill Pickle Salad.
Fresh lemon juice - Bottled works if that's what's on hand, but fresh brightens the whole salad.
Sugar - Just enough to round out the tang from the lemon and sour cream. Skip it if you prefer a sharper dressing.
How to make Cucumber & Fennel salad
This salad couldn't be easier to put together.
Step 1. Thinly slice cucumber and onion. Cut out the core and thinly slice fennel. My favourite tool for this job is this [Benriner Mandolin]. You can also use a sharp knife and slice as thinly as possible.
Step 2. Place all the vegetables in a bowl and add 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to coat and let sit for 30 minutes. This will release the water from the cucumber, soften the fennel, and mellow the onion flavour.
Step 3. Strain the mixture in a fine mesh sieve.
Step 4. Mix together all the other ingredients. Add to the vegetables and stir well until everything is coated in the sour cream mixture.
What to serve with cucumber salad
Here are some of my favourite recipes to serve this salad with:
- Mustard and Herb Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Spice Rubbed Grilled Salmon
- Grilled Pork Chops with Bacon BBQ Sauce
- Grilled Shrimp with Coconut Creamed Corn
- Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Thighs
Storage
This salad will keep for several days in an airtight container. It will loose a bit of it's crunch as it sits but is still delicious!
Recipe FAQs
No, English cucumber does not need to be peeled or seeded for this fennel and cucumber salad. Its skin is thin and tender and the seeds are small enough that they don't need to be removed, which is part of why English cucumber is the better choice here over a regular field cucumber.
Raw fennel has a mild anise or liquorice-like flavour that mellows significantly once it's salted and rested, as it is in this fennel and cucumber salad recipe. Once combined with the creamy dressing, the flavour is much softer and closer to a fresh, slightly sweet crunch than a strong liquorice taste.
es, this fennel and cucumber salad is naturally gluten free, since none of the ingredients contain gluten. Just double check the label on your sour cream or yogurt if you're serving someone with a gluten sensitivity, as some flavoured or lower fat versions can contain additives.
More Recipes
📖 Recipe
Creamy Fennel and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Fennel bulb
- 1 English cucumber
- ½ large white or sweet onion
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ½ cup sour cream, full fat plain yogurt, or dairy free alternative
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the top off the fennel bulb. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the green fronds to add later. Halve, core, and thinly slice fennel bulb (preferably on a mandoline) Place in large bowl.
- Thinly slice cucumber and onion and add to above. 1 English cucumber, ½ large white or sweet onion
- Sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Stir well and let stand for 30 mins. Drain over a sieve and discard liquid.
- Add sour cream, dill, fennel fronds, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and ground black pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped, ½ cup sour cream, full fat plain yogurt, or dairy free alternative, 1 tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 1 tsp sugar, freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Amanda Dexter says
This is my absolute favourite salad right now. I've made it 3 or 4 times already. I don't include the dill because my husband hates it, so I go a little heavy on the fennel fronds and it's still delicious. It's a great salad for winter, too, because all the ingredients are easily available. Thanks, Andrea!
Karlene says
Hi there, was going to make this salad but have never known how to cut or use fennel. I read the instructions but and I using just the bulb inside? The stems out on it am I using any of it are those those fronds you talk about. Didn’t want to waste the whole fennel. Thank you
Andrea says
Hi Karlene!
Cut off the stems and use the bulb only. You can peel or cut off any brown spots. You want to save some of the fronds to chop and add to the salad. Hope that helps! enjoy!
Pauline Bath says
I made this salad for the family on Father’s Day. It was such a hit. I was looking forward to having the leftovers but there was none. 😋
Jackie says
Made this to accompany the salmon with caper vinaigrette, everyone loved it!