Tired of your usual lettuce and tomato salad? This dill cucumber, radish and egg salad in a tangy yogurt dressing is here to rescue you from your lettuce salad rut!
Take a look at our Classic Coleslaw Recipe for another delicious lettuce free salad or explore our Salad Recipe Category for more ideas.
Correct me if I am wrong but I feel like dill is the most under-loved herb out there. I don’t buy it very often myself. But whenever I do, it makes me so happy because it screams “summer” to me!
As much as dill is not utilised to its full potential here, it is used to the max in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. That’s how, I suppose the balance is restored.
Now let me introduce you to this staple salad you would eat in every Russian and Ukrainian home. It is as much of a classic as this Summer Tomato and Cucumber Salad.
Crunchy cucumber, radish and egg dressed simply with a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise. This salad is usually made in the spring and summer when fresh produce is at its peak.
The ingredient list is so short, you know the flavour solely rests on the quality of those ingredients!
Why this salad recipe works
Sometimes it’s mind boggling to be reminded once again that simple is almost always better! We ate this creamy dill cucumber, radish and egg salad recently at my brother’s house and loved it. I wanted to blog about it immediately because it was light, flavourful and fresh.
Thinly sliced Kirby cucumbers and radishes are absolutely delightful. I used mandoline to slice them very thinly but it’s not necessary. The small cucumber make all the difference as they are uber crunchy and have tiny seeds.
You might be wondering how this salad could be light as it is loaded with mayonnaise. The thing is that although you do add some mayo to this salad, the creaminess comes from the egg yolks. And they are GOOD for you!
I have also lightened the recipe by combining a light mayo and yogurt. Same delicious taste but not as calorific!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- A couple of things you should know about this salad. As delicious as it is, it doesn’t keep as leftovers. The fresh cucumbers release too much liquid once they are hit with salt. Which brings me to another point.
- Dress the salad right before you are about to serve it to avoid sogginess and please add enough salt, otherwise it will be very bland!!!
Serving Suggestions
This salad is great as a tasty side for grilled meat, hamburgers or on its own as a lunch option. It is delicious with a slice of crusty bread because there will be incredibly tasting juices at the bottom of your bowl!! Get ready!
More Summer Salad Recipes to Try:
- Tomato Salad with Basil and Mozzarella (Caprese)
- Dill Potato Salad
- Cucumber and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Red Onions
- Tuscan Panzanella Salad
This recipe was originally published in 04/2017. Updated and republished in 05/2021.
Ingredients
- 1 long English cucumber or 3 small cucumbers sliced thinly
- 150g/6-7 radishes sliced thinly
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
For the creamy dill dressing
- 200ml/⅔ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 80ml/⅓ cup mayonnaise I use light
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Cook the eggs for 10 minutes, then cool until safe to handle.
- Slice cucumber and radishes thinly, use mandolin if available, chop the egg but not too small and combine in a salad bowl.
- Prepare the dressing by combining all ingredients in a mason jar, put a lid on and shake vigorously until the mixture is smooth. You might want to add more water to desired consistency.
- Add 2-4 tbsp of the creamy dill dressing to the salad bowl and toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Reserve the rest of the creamy dill dressing for other salads.
Andrea says
That looks very delicious! I love Dill, it reminds me of my Childhood. Here in Germany it’s also underrated. My opinion, a cucumber salad wihtout Dill is no cucumber salad 😀 I Also use it on coooked carrots and in green salad. Oh, and I also drain my cucumbers – I feel that the taste is more intense.
vikalinka says
I agree, Andrea. Dill adds so much freshness to vegetables!
Zofia says
Mm Yum thank you for the inspiration ! I have radishes and dill in the garden and will make this today. Do you think it would work to pre salt the cucumber and drain off the excess liquid as one does in the polish salad Mizeria ?
vikalinka says
Hi Zofia, yes you can but I find that method leaves cucumbers a bit limp, as if the salt pickles them a little bit. It’s up to you but I prefer leaving salt and pepper to the end.
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says
This looks soooo good. I just love creamy salads like this. And dill is definitely underrated here too.
vikalinka says
Dill for the win!! 🙂
Katya says
Anything cucumber, radish, and dill is such a nostalgia food for me. Love the addition of egg in this salad!
vikalinka says
Thanks, Katya! Egg makes it creamier and balances out the acidity of radishes. It’s amazing something so simple could be so delicious!