Gurkensalat is the German cucumber salad: thinly sliced cucumber salted to draw out its water, then dressed while still crisp. There are two common versions. The northern and everyday style uses a sour cream dressing with dill. The southern and Austrian style, sometimes called a marinated Gurkensalat, uses a sharp vinegar and oil dressing. This recipe gives you the creamy dill version with the vinegar version as a variation, because they start the same way.
The step that makes or breaks it is salting the cucumbers first. Cut cucumber is mostly water held in cells. Toss the slices with salt and the salt pulls that water out by osmosis, so the slices go limp-crisp and concentrated instead of staying rigid and bland, and, just as important, they stop flooding the dressing ten minutes after you toss it. Skip this step and you get a watery bowl within the hour.
Salt, Wait, Squeeze
Slice the cucumbers thin, ideally on a mandoline, about 1/8 inch. Toss with salt, spread in a colander, and let them sit 20 to 30 minutes. You will see liquid collect underneath. Then press or gently squeeze the slices to drive out more water, and pat them dry. Taste one. If it is too salty, rinse quickly and dry again. Only then dress them. This sequence is the entire technique and it applies to almost every cucumber salad, including the Thai one in this set.
Gurkensalat (German Cucumber Salad)
Serves 4 as a side. Prep 15 minutes, salting and resting 30 minutes, total about 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cucumbers, about 2 English cucumbers or 6 small Persian ones
- 1 teaspoon salt, for drawing water, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives or a little grated onion
- Black pepper to taste
Method
- Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can, about 1/8 inch. Peel first only if the skin is thick or waxed.
- Toss the slices with 1 teaspoon salt and spread them in a colander set over a bowl. Let them drain 20 to 30 minutes.
- Gather the slices in your hands or press them against the colander to squeeze out as much water as you can. Pat dry with a towel. Taste; rinse and dry again if too salty.
- In a serving bowl whisk the sour cream, vinegar, oil, and sugar until smooth.
- Add the cucumbers, dill, and chives. Fold to coat.
- Season with pepper and a little more salt if needed. Chill 10 minutes before serving. Eat the same day.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated by calculation for one of four servings, not lab verified.
| Calories | Protein | Carbohydrate | Fat | Fiber | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 2 g | 8 g | 8 g | 1 g | 320 mg |
Tips and Variations
- Vinegar version (southern and Austrian style): skip the sour cream. Dress the drained cucumbers with 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, a grate of garlic, and the dill. Let it marinate 30 minutes. Some cooks finish it with a pinch of sweet paprika.
- Add crunch: a handful of thinly sliced radish or a little diced red onion.
- Herb swaps: dill is classic, but parsley or a mix of dill and mint both work.
- Serve with: schnitzel, roast pork, sausages, boiled potatoes, or any rich main that wants a cool sharp side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to salt and drain the cucumbers?
For a good result, yes. Salting pulls out the water that would otherwise dilute the dressing and turn the salad into soup. It takes 20 to 30 minutes of resting and a squeeze, and it is the difference between a crisp salad and a watery one.
What cucumbers are best for gurkensalat?
English or Persian cucumbers are ideal because they have thin skins, few seeds, and firm flesh. If you use standard slicing cucumbers, peel them and scrape out the seeds first.
Why is my cucumber salad still watery?
Either the salting time was too short, the slices were not squeezed hard enough, or the salad sat too long after dressing. Dress it close to serving and eat it the same day.
Can I make gurkensalat ahead?
You can salt and drain the cucumbers a few hours ahead and keep them dry in the refrigerator. Dress within an hour of serving. The vinegar version holds a little longer than the sour cream version.
Is gurkensalat the same as a pickle?
No. It is a fresh salad eaten the day it is made. It shares the salting step with quick pickles, but it is not fermented or preserved.
Tools for the Job
Thin, even slices are the point, so a mandoline or a very sharp knife matters here more than anything else.
- 13-Inch Damascus Chef Knife for thin slicing
- Two-Tone XL Cutting Board
- Kitchen Essentials for a mandoline and mixing bowls
More Technique Guides
These publish together as a set. The full recipe index lists everything on the site in one place.
Who Is Writing This
I am Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary training in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-time 4-Diamond chef. More about me here. If a step did not make sense, or the recipe missed something you needed, get in touch and I will fix it.
Thank you for cooking this one with us. From all of us at Wine Drop Cookery.
The salting step works by osmosis: a concentrated salt solution outside the cucumber cells draws water out through the cell membranes. General food science, described for home cooks in the University of Minnesota Extension discussion of how salt moves water in and out of vegetable cells.