Tangy & Creamy Vegan German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)

Side view of a large bowl of vegan German cucumber salad with gold serve ware.

Tangy & Creamy Vegan German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)

Tangy and creamy vegan German cucumber salad (gurkensalat) is dairy-free version of this classic dish. Thinly sliced cucumbers are tossed in a balanced creamy and tangy dressing with fresh herbs and shallots. Advanced preparation is recommended to allow ample chilling time and mingling of flavours.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine German

Keyword creamy vegan cucumber salad, Vegan German cucumber salad

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Servings people

Calories 81kcal

Author Heidi Richter

Equipment

Mandolin

Ingredients

2 large long English cucumbers wrappers removed
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup dairy-free sour cream or thick non-dairy plain yogurt
2 tablespoon finely diced shallot
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh chives finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the cucumbers

Wash and dry the cucumbers well and cut off the blossom and stem ends. If you wish to peel the cucumbers, you can however this step is optional (see notes below on when it's necessary to remove the skin, though).
Using a mandoline, slice the cucumbers approximately ⅛- 1/16th thick (the thinner the better). Place the cucumber slices into a medium bowl and sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Mix to distribute the salt, then allow the cucumbers to sit while you prepare the dressing.

Prepare the dressing

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, shallot, vinegar, mustard, olive oil, sugar, dill, parsley and chives. Mix until incorporated, then taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.

Assemble & refrigerate

Pour the dressing over the salted cucumbers and stir until evenly coated (the cucumber juices will nicely thin the dressing). Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours. Prior to serving, give it a good stir to re-incorporate the dressing. Serve cold.

Notes

Peeling the cucumbers is optional, however, if you are using slicing/slicer cucumbers for this recipe (see notes on cucumber varieties in the post), it’s best to remove the thick skin and seeds; they aren't pleasant to eat.

Dairy-free sour cream can be replaced with plain dairy-free yogurt in a 1:1 ratio. However, I would suggest using a thick coconut milk based non-dairy yogurt as this will better mimic sour cream.

This recipe needs to be served cold and will last for up to 2 days covered in the fridge. For more information on safe food handling and storage, please visit: the Government of Canada Food Safety website or the USDA Food Safety Inspection Agency website.

Nutrition