Gurkensalat (German Cucumber Salad)

We must all have the same German grandma. I have been eating this salad for years. It is one of my favorites. Grandma used chives instead of dill and she also smashed a clove of garlic and added it with the onions, cucumbers and salt.

My Grandma always made a cuke and sour cream salad similar to this. Fond memories...

I enjoyed the flavor of the cucumbers very much ~ they were so different from most marinated cucumber salads I've tasted. However I found the texture to be oddly mushy. Followed the recipe to a T, squeezing out excess moisture from cukes and refrigerating overnight. Next day the onions were dismally limp 'strings' so much so that I just fished them all out. The cucmbers were just too mushy. I would really like to skip rating stars on this because it's probably unfair, given I haven't tasted German marinated cukes before and maybe this is how they're supposed to be. However the AllRecipes system doesn't allow me to post comments without assigning stars, so trying my best to be fair I will rate this a 3 star recipe.

This is the recipe that I have been looking for. My parents were stationed in Wiesbaden Germany years ago, and my mother who loves to cook befriended a local german woman and the soon exchanged recipes. THIS cucumber salad better known as Gurkensalat is the CLOSEST I have been able to come to recreating it.. THIS is a MOST LOVED dish.. I don't know if this is the exact way my mother and Petra made this wonderful dish, but if it isn't I couldn't tell. THANK you for posting this and taking me back to my days (years) in Germany with my mother and a wonderful lady named Petra. I STRONGLY ADVISE all who try this recipe to follow exactly DO NOT add or take away.. AND PLEASE let it chill overnight for best result. IF I could give more than 5 stars I WOULD.... I am huge fan of German food and this dish is spot on.

I am German, and this tastes very authentic. Thank you! Make sure to slice the cucumbers very thinly, for example, with a grater. If you want a German bean salad, all you have to do is substitute canned beans for the cucumbers, and add some onions. Tastes good, too.

This was an excellent dish. I could not wait the 8 hours to try it. Once I mixed everything together I ate the whole bowl to myself. Great job!

My mom always made a salad like this. (she was from Germany). I've been making it too, but with parsley and chives and a tiny dab of yellow mustard. It's a nice and refeshing summer salad.

Cucumber salads tend to be somewhat the same. With this recipe I was interested in the impact the addition of paprika would have on the taste. I made it per the instructions but left out the sugar because I don't like it sweet. In spite of not adding the sugar it seemed the paprika did add some sweetness of its own. I enjoyed this immensely and would make it again.

iam german and i love it has a great flavor thank you for sharing.

This was a good basic recipe but was way sweeter than the gurkensalat my Bavarian mom would make. Next time I'll cut back on the sugar.

The only adjustment this recipe and others with cucumbers and sour cream is: Do Not Refrigerate Cucumbers in Sour Cream Over Night. Mix everything together an hour or two before eating. Otherwise everything is mushy and ruined.

For Christmas dinner this year, I used my moms authentic German recipes, but she didn't have one for a cucumber salad. After reading the reviews on this one, it sounded like the most authentic, so I gave it a try and my family loved it. I've made other versions before, but never used sour cream or paprika in them. I sliced the cukes very thin (on my mandolin), but might make them a tad thicker next time because they were a little limp, but not mushy. I loved how the onions turned out too. I hate raw onions, but because they were thin and marinated, they added great flavor without the harshness. I'm adding this as a permanent item to my German dinner menu.

I liked this a lot! I made it per the recipe and think it turned out pretty well. After letting it marinate overnight I transferred it to a smaller bowl using a slotted spoon, so a lot of the runny liquid was left behind. As another reviewer mentioned this was a bit sweet. Next time I will reduce the sugar down to 1 1/2 TB.

Used Greek yogurt--easy and quick

Made it as written. My adult daughter said that this was the best cucumber salad she's ever had. It is pretty darn delicious.

This was really good. There is a German restaurant close by that serves a salad similar to this. I didn't alter the recipe at all. I pressed the cucumbers with a paper towel after salting to remove the excess water and keep the dressing from thinning too much.

Very tasty. I do an experimental taste test after the salad rests for a couple of hours - just in case the amount of sugar and/or vinegar needs to be adjusted. Also, I mix the paprika into the salad, rather than garnish with it. I like the color it adds to the salad.

Delish! This is one of those dishes you can play around with as long as you stick to the basic proportions. Mine ended up sitting in the fridge for several days before eating and it was still crispy and creamy! The onions had completely mellowed out as well.

This was easy and delicious! I used English cucumbers, light sour cream, and totally forgot the paprika.

This was so yummy. I honestly couldn't wait 8 hours to try it. It was amazing right after I fixed it. It might'vebeen better if I'd waited for the dukes and onions to soak up the flavor, but hey, they were still a bit crispy, which I really liked. , I will definitely make this again.

I was in a hurry and decided that I needed another vegetable side dish for Oktoberfest. Whipped this up last minute and received lots of compliments. With that said, it was even better the next day!

My grandparents were German and my grandmother used to make this salad with white vinegar, dill, sugar, a little water, salt and pepper and a tiny bit of vegetable oil. It was delicious but this recipe is awesome. From now on I will make this recipe, everyone loved it.

I used about half the paprika, so it wasn't quite so pink. I used dried onions, so I would get the flavor without my children complaining about me. Plus, some said the onions tended to get more soggy. It was very good.

I cut the amount of sugar in half. Amazing! I make this at least twice a month!

I lived in Germany for ten years and this brings back all my old memories. Just seems to encapsulate Germany. Easy to make and delicious. I can eat it on its own!

Very good and refreshing! I used white wine vinegar. My onions added their own touch of sweetness. I cut back on the paprika, but later noticed that by mistake I mixed it in instead of garnishing with it. Oh well, it was still good!

Love this recipe and I agree with shineah make sure to slice cucumber thinly. Also instead of white vinegar I've always used Heinz salad vinegar, my family likes the taste better than white vinegar.

I did add more dill and vinegar than suggested but the salat was amazing!!!

I made this with cucumbers from my garden and it was delicious! I did not make any changes to the recipe, however I did double it since I made it for a potluck. I would rate this as 4.5 stars because I wish I could have a better idea of how many cups of sliced cucumber "2 large" should yield. I'm sure with a cucumber salad this doesn't need to be exact, but I just prefer to see recipes with ingredients written such as "2 cups sliced cucumber (about 2 large)." Long story short, reserve some of this awesome dressing on the side if you like thicker coverage and add it when ready. For reference, mine turned out very tasty but I wish I had thicker dressing coverage for my personal taste. It may have been that my cuke/dressing ratio was off. The cukes will continue to weep as this sits in the fridge. Here is what I did: I picked my cucumbers at about 5-6 inches in length, and used six. I sliced them on the next-to-thinnest setting on my mandolin, lightly salted them in layers, and let them sit for an hour before draining. I rinsed them and patted them in layers of paper towels. This is overkill but I did't want it too soupy and it was my first time making it. I wouldn't go to these lengths again; I'd just let it sit salted for much longer then drain. I reserved 1/2 cup of dressing just in case it souped-up which turned out to be a good idea. The dressing is heavenly, and even with the salting and patting of cuke slices, it thinned out quite a bit as it sat overnight. I

Delicious salad! I forgot the paprika burk will make sure not to next tome. It was only able to be refrigerated for about two hours, no problem in my opinion.

I honestly liked this but my family gave it a thumbs down. I used rice vinegar and fresh dill.

This recipe is one of my husbands favorites! He would be happy if I served it to him with every meal. I also add fresh garlic to this salad.

Really good and very simple. Added tsp of garlic powder. Great with steak and chicken.

It's pretty good, but WAY too much sugar. I like it better with no sugar at all. Add the sauce incrementally to the cukes -- not the other way around. That way you don't end up with too much sauce and not enough cukes.

This dish was an absolute HIT at my German dinner party! My brother-in-law, who doesn't like cucumber salads had thirds! This salad is so fresh and light - wonderful any season! I did what many recommended cut the sugar back to 1 Tablespoon and substituted apple vinegar since so many of my other dishes had white vinegar... and was perfect

It was different from what us southern folks are use to. I was raised on a tangier type cucumber salad, but I did enjoy this.

It was ok, but not like the German cucumber salad my grandmother made. I think I will omit the sugar next time.

It was too sweet for my taste. I ended up adding more sour cream and vinegar to cut the sweetness. I also used fresh dill, since I had it, which was good.

I'll absolutely make it again, and again, and again. I've been trying to figure this one out for years. It tasted just like my Mom's did as I was growing up.

Memories of my Oma, too! Loved this. Used red onion instead of white.

Doesn't have much flavor, it gets better though as it sits in the refrigerator.

I'd make this again, made it for visiting family and none was left and they all enjoyed it.

Delicious!! I prepared the salad exactly as described, and ate it the next day. Really easy and good

Instead of white vinegar, I used organic apple cider vinegar and added thin sliced celery.

Ausgezeichnet! A very similar recipe has been used by my family for a couple of generations. Only major difference is they use white wine vinegar and omit the paprika.

I used to have this with my grandma when I was little, but couldn't find the recipe. This is just like I remember!

Delicious cucumber salad! I would love to say this tastes like something my German grandma used to make, but she never made anything this good. ?? The onions add to the wonderful flavor, don't leave them out! I love the way you taste the sweetness first, then you get that vinegar kick.

Wonderful! After 54 years of making this from memory, I finally saw your recipe and learned how to get all that cucumber liquid out which always made my salad too liquid. Well, you have to drink that cucumber juice while finishing your salad! It is so good foryou!

Just like mom used to make! I used fresh cucumbers and purple onion from our garden, and only used 1/2 teaspoon of dill, and added 1/2 teaspoon chives. Make sure you let the favors meld overnight!

so authentic

Very good! I will make it again. I used a large English cucumber. There was enough dressing that would have easily covered one and a half or two these cucumbers.

Low fat sour cream, did not use salt

I prefer to use mayonnaise, instead of the sour cream. It did not taste as good as the one I usually make with mayo.

I followed this recipe to a 't'. Way too much sugar. I would cut the sugar in half and peel the cucumbers. Might be better then, but I don't think I'll bother making this agai.

The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was it called for way to much sugar. Way to sweet for me, next time I will cut it in half. I also like using fresh dill & parsley, but dried works to.

I made this last night and let it set for over 12 hours. I followed the directions as written (aside from the sugar substitute) and this was exactly what I was hoping it would be, fantastic! I peeled the cukes and sliced them thinly with a mandolin and substituted the white sugar for splenda because I follow a low carb lifestyle and it was still beyond wonderful. I will definitely double the recipe next time because this was devoured so quickly by myself and my family. I recommend this version of the recipe, hands down. Thank you for posting this on AllRecipes!

It’s like Oma made it in Berlin Germany where I was growing up. Yummy.

Hella good! I was leary of adding anything to the traditional southern vinegar/sugar/s & p mixture. This tasted a lot like what I've had in Slovakia. Delish! Thanks.

loved it - although I couldn't wait the whole 8 hours before diving in. Was still good after just 4 hrs of fridge time.

This is delicious and will make again.

Love this salad. Reminds me of eastern Germany. The salt soaked cucumber slices really does the trick!

This recipe tastes exactly like what you'd get in Germany!

I had to make this. I haven't had this since I was a child. Not that my Mother made it, but I do remember eating this and loving it. So when I saw this I had to go all in. I couldn't wait for the entire 8 hours, I dove in at 7. It was midnight and I was in heaven. All the memories came flooding back as the sweet, creamy sauce danced on my tongue.

I too must have had the same German grandmother. I think I might reduce the sugar just a bit (maybe 1-1/2 Tbsp?) but otherwise delicious just as is!

Turned out good. I think it needs just a little more salt added to the dressing. Otherwise was very good it taste like a salad that my mom made for us many years ago.

I made this for a party and it was commended! I left off the paprika as I didn't have any, no other ingredient changes. I made the sour cream mixture and sliced the cucumbers a night in advance, but mixed it all together about an hour before the party to keep the cucumbers from becoming too soggy. Will make again!

Great techniques turned out a wonderful texture. But too much sugar for my taste. I'll make it again with less sugar!

I've made this twice for functions. I always have a couple people say they liked it. I think it's ok. I up the dill and use leeks instead of onions.

Very Good. Like my Mother used to make it!

I would make it again; but add less sugar and not let it sit for more than an hour before I ate it. It continued to release water and made it too watery for my taste. I also added fresh thyme and basil and that was delicious!

Wow my mom was German and I grew up on this! So happy to find this recipe as it appears to be the one Mom used. Really good and I agree that it is best if allowed to marinate a while.

This was so good. Next time a little less sugar. I also used fresh dill.

Oh my gosh, this is so delicious! I made it for my mother as a low carb dish due to her diabetes. We both loved it! Next time I will double the recipe so there's more for me :-)

This was the closest to the one my Grandmother makes.

Followed exactly but it was a little too sweet. A couple sprinkles of white wine vinegar cured that. Went great with salmon tonite!

This was a huge NO for me. Way, WAY too sweet.

Thank you for this recipe and for the reviews. Taking a half hour to let the water seep out of the salted cukes and onion was the secret to a great salad. Don’t like sweet salads, so I took reviewers’ advice and decreased the sugar to 1 tbsp.

This recipe is exactly what you're looking for! I recommend following the instructions all the way through as I discovered Paprika mixed in, instead of garnished, makes for a different taste and color. 2nd batch made as written - awesome!

It was good. Need to really squeeze out the cucumbers.

My husband is German decent and he just loved this I go to Farmers Market often when open, most often use Burpless cukes

This is kind of like what we serve at the German restaurant I work in. I don't like the addition of paprika, and we let our cucumbers cure for quite a bit longer than half an hour. I'll stick with our recipe.

I had started to make my what I thought was my moms old recipe and then looked here to finish it. I started with a cut up cuke, 1 heaping Tbs miracle whip and then used this recipe without the sour cream and substituted vinegar with apple cider vinegar. It was outstanding. And thank you for this!!!

Tastes like being back in Germany!

Just like my mom used to make. Thanks for sharing!

Excellent for a hot summer day and easy to make.

Very authentic and easy to make.

I followed the recipe to the tee, but for some reason, it started foaming, almost like it was fermenting. I will give it another try because it started out tasting really good.

Was not a hit. I think the creaminess was too much for someone accustomed to the vinegar version.

Wow! Yummy!

Was just like Mom made.

Just like my grandmother's recipe!

Next time, I would peel the cucumbers and add a bit more vinegar and salt.

Only changes made was slightly less sugar and like other reviewers stated I forgot the paprika at first, but ultimately remembered. Very good, I was impressed!!! I made some pork schnitzel and home fries along with the gurkensalat and everything went together beautifully

It was easy, very fresh and delicious!

This is a very good salad, and tasty, but not quite what I've had before in German restaurants. I only used half of the dressing as the water is drawn out of the cucumbers to make it a great dressing with a very good texture -- if I'd used all of it as recommended it would have been way too much. The dill flavor is wonderful, the parsley compliments it, and the sour cream and salt are spot-on. I added 2 more tsp. white vinegar, and decreased the sugar by 2 tsp.to give it a little more tangy flavor and not so sweet. The paprika is something I could take or leave -- not usually in the recipes I've tried before. It is overall a tasty recipe, but not quite what the German ones are I've experienced before.

I loved this! I did use red wine vinegar as that was what I had on hand. I did not let it marinate more than a half hour or so...didn't matter - so good! My husband said, "Please feel free to make this ANY time!!!"

The first time I made this it was too sweet for my taste. I reduced the sugar to just 1 tsp. I also added a finely chopped small clove of garlic. This is a delicious and fresh side dish.

Like many others, I have had this dish since I was a kid and loved it. My salting technique differs a little though. After peeling and slicing, the cucumbers go into a colander. I then salt them generously with kosher salt (don't bother measuring), then place a bowl of water on top to squeeze them for an hour. I then rinse the excess salt off and dry them with paper towels. The purpose of this step is not to remove water (like you do with zucchini) but acid. Yes, they do end up limp. But if you belch up cucumbers for hours after eating them, like I do, you'll appreciate the difference. Also, as long as the salad's cold, the 8 hours or overnight in the fridge is probably unnecessary. Doesn't hurt though. Lastly, the paprika garnish is just to add a little color. An entire teaspoon, unless you're using a very wide bowl, is probably overkill.

I made it according to the recipe. Very good and refreshing and another way to use the cucumbers from our garden. Easy peasy!