Mizeria, the creamy cucumber salad recipe is a traditional Polish salad made from thinly sliced cucumbers, sour cream, and dill. This delicious cucumber salad requires 5 ingredients and 5 minutes and makes a perfect side or a delicious snack.

The creamy cucumber salad is often served as a side dish with meals. Super simple to make and is a refreshing and cool dish, perfect for summer. Some variations include adding sour cream and yogurt or vinegar to the cucumbers.
I have made even healthier version of this and substituted sour cream. This one substitution makes it much lighter in taste and saves major calories.
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History of mizeria Salad
The salad was likely popularized during the 16th century, when Poland was ruled by the affluent and powerful Jagiellonian dynasty. Mizeria was probably served at royal banquets and was likely considered a delicacy.
During the 19th century, sour cream became more widely available and it became a common ingredient in Mizeria salad. Today, it is still a popular dish in Poland and is often served with traditional meals such as bigos, pierogi and kotlet schabowy.
Ingredients for Mizeria Salad
- Cucumbers: Thinly sliced, peeled, and seeded.
- Sour cream: Used as the base for the dressing. I make a healthier substitution of hung yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Dill: Fresh, chopped for garnish.
- Fresh Parsley
- Celery
- Salt & Pepper to taste.
Other ingredients that you can also add include:
- White vinegar or lemon juice: To add acidity
- Sugar: To balance the acidity
- Fresh parsley or chives: Finely chopped, to garnish.
The ingredients are typically mixed together and chilled in the refrigerator before serving, to allow the flavors to meld together. The salad is typically served cold and is a refreshing and cool side dish.
What Diets This Creamy Cucumber Salad Is Suitable For?
Mizeria salad, also known as creamy cucumber salad, is suitable for several diets.
- Traditional diets: It is a traditional dish from Poland, and suitable for those following a traditional Polish diet.
- Low-carb diets: It is a low-carb dish, as it is primarily made of cucumbers, which are low in carbohydrates.
- Gluten-free diets: The salad is gluten-free as it doesn't contain gluten-containing ingredients.
- Dairy-free diets: If you're lactose intolerant or following a dairy-free diet, you can make a dairy-free version of the salad by using a non-dairy sour cream or Greek yogurt alternative.
- Keto diet: It can be suitable for a ketogenic diet as it is low in carbs and high in healthy fats from sour cream.
Please note that it may not be suitable for those following a vegan diet as it contains sour cream which is a dairy product.
It's always important to check the ingredients and make sure they align with your dietary needs or restrictions, and make adjustments as necessary.
How long can you store this?
Mizeria salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When stored properly, it will last for 2-3 days. However, for best quality, it's recommended to consume it within a day or two of making it.
The cucumbers in the salad can release a lot of water, which can make the salad soggy and less flavorful over time. Also, the sour cream based dressing can spoil easily if not stored properly.
If you want to store it for longer, you can prepare the salad without adding the sour cream and add it just before serving, this way the cucumbers will maintain their freshness for a longer period.
It's always important to pay attention to the freshness of the ingredients you are using, if they are not fresh it's better to consume the salad right away or discard it.

Tips to make the Best Mizeria Salad
Here are some tips for making the best Mizeria salad:
- Use fresh cucumbers: Choose firm, fresh cucumbers for the best flavor and texture.
- Slice the cucumbers thin: Thinly slicing the cucumbers will help them absorb the dressing better and make the salad more flavorful.
- Use good quality sour cream or yogurt: Use high-quality sour cream for the best flavor and texture.
- Add salt: Salt will bring out the flavor of the cucumbers and balance the acidity of the sour cream.
- Add vinegar: Adding a little vinegar to the salad will give it a tangy flavor, which works well with the sour cream.
- Add sugar: Adding a little sugar will balance the acidity of the vinegar and sour cream and make the salad taste less sour.
- Chill the salad: Chilling the salad for at least an hour before serving will help the flavors meld together and make the salad more refreshing.
- Garnish with fresh herbs: Garnish with fresh dill or parsley for added flavor and color.
Adjust the seasoning: Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning to your liking, add more salt, sugar, or vinegar as needed.
More Such Recipes
- Chopped Spring Salad
- Thai Cucumber Salad
- Paneer Tikka Quinoa Salad
- The Best Beet Salad
- Vegan Ceasar Salad
- High Protein Quinoa and Kidney Beans Salad
- Indian Green Peas Salad
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📖 Recipe
Mizeria Salad (Polish Cucumber Salad)
Ingredients
- 2 medium-size cucumbers
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers with the sour cream mixture until well coated.
- Add the chopped dill and toss again.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Before serving, adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Serve cold and garnish with fresh dill if desired.
- This recipe is for a basic Mizeria salad, you can adjust the ingredients according to your taste, add more or less sugar, vinegar, and salt as needed. You can also add thinly sliced onions to the salad for more flavor or garnish with chopped parsley or chives.
- Enjoy your delicious and refreshing Mizeria salad!
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