Smoked Salmon Cucumber Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

Packed with flavorful smoked salmon and crisp cucumber slices, this smoked salmon cucumber salad comes together in minutes and features a creamy fresh dill dressing and quick-pickled red onions that take all the flavors to another level.

We’ve officially hit the part of winter where all I’m craving is a fresh salad. So it’s smoked salmon and a mess of cucumbers to the rescue!

Also featured is a creamy dill lemon dressing that’s so good I might seriously consider drinking it one of these days.

We’ve been making this salad nonstop the last couple of weeks and my husband actually dubbed it “his favorite salad” which is SAYING something since he’s very picky about the types of salads he’ll willingly eat.

All the flavors just work together beautifully and it’s one of those salads that tastes so light, yet fills you up at the same time.

This Cucumber Salad features…

• Crunchy cucumbers, peppery arugula, and tender smoked salmon pieces
• Tangy pickled red onions, capers, and fresh dill sprigs
• A creamy fresh dill dressing

Making the Salad

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Dill
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Mayonnaise
• Honey
• Capers
• Red onion
• Apple cider vinegar
• Cucumbers
• Arugula
• Smoked salmon

Tips for Perfect Cucumber Salad

1. Use fresh dill, garlic, lemon juice, and zest in dressing – using these ingredients fresh adds tons of flavor to the dressing.
2. Use a blender or food processor for dressing – either of these tools works great for blending the dressing smooth.
3. Quick-pickle red onions – this adds a lovely tanginess to the red onion. For best results, allow the red onions to quick pickle for 30 minutes or up to 2 weeks. The flavor gets better the longer they sit.
4. Cut cucumbers in uniform slices – slice the cucumbers into 1/4-inch slices for easy serving.
5. Dress salad just before serving – this keeps all the ingredients fresh and crisp.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.

• Add more vegetables – try adding a diced sweet pepper, sugar snap peas, or shredded carrot.
• Use another fresh herb – try parsley, basil, cilantro, or chives in place of the dill. You can also use a combination of herbs.
• Swap out fresh greens – replace the arugula with baby spinach or shredded romaine.

Make Ahead Instructions

Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.

• Make the dressing – make the dressing and store in refrigerator up to 6 days.
• Quick pickle the red onions – store the pickled red onions in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
• Prep the salad – arrange all the salad ingredients (except the red onions and dressing) in a sealable container. Store in refrigerator up to 4 days.
• Assembly – when ready to assemble salad, remove the pickled red onions from the vinegar and sprinkle over salad. Drizzle dill dressing over top and serve immediately.

No way around it, this is just one of those salads you’re going to want to have on standby for any and every occasion! Fancy enough for dinner if you’re hosting, but also simple enough to bring for a work lunch.

Either way you slice it, you’ll be diving in facefirst.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More favorite salads to add to your menu.

• Mexican Street Corn Chopped Salad
• Crispy Chickpea Cobb Salad
• Smoked Salmon Greek Salad