Easy Asian Cucumber Salad

Light, refreshing and easy asian cucumber salad! If you want something unique, delicious, and perfect for summer look no further than this cucumber salad. This simple dish is perfect for picnics, barbecues, as a side dish for grilled meats, fish, and more.

This Asian Cucumber Salad is a flavorful side dish that will transport your taste buds to the streets of Southeast Asia. Made with crisp English cucumbers tossed in a delicious dressing made of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a touch of heat, this salad is a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors that will make your tastebuds sing.

Pair with Baked Breaded Chicken for an awesome meal.

I am a big fan of creamy cucumber salad, but this asian salad is quickly becoming my favorite. The cool and refreshing texture of the cucumbers pairs perfectly with the bold and complex flavors of the Asian-inspired dressing, making this salad a standout addition to any meal. It is perfect for hot summer days or as a side dish for your favorite Asian-inspired dish, like these Baked Asian Mahi Mahi Packets! It is also a great side for a grilled meat, like a Sirloin Steak or Lemon Garlic Rosemary Grilled Chicken.

This salad is also great for you with nutritious and hydrating ingredients that are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals, making it a healthy and flavorful addition to your diet.

So, what are you waiting for? Try our Asian Cucumber Salad today and experience the bold and refreshing flavors!

What You Need for Asian Cucumber Salad

Making this Asian Cucumber Salad is easy. And the ingredients are easy to find, and combine to make something amazing:

English Cucumber
Salt

Sauce

Rice vinegar
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Brown Sugar
Hot sauce
Red pepper flakes

Garnish

Peanut
Sesame seeds

What Kind of Cucumber?

For this salad, the type of cucumber really matters because the dressing or marinade will really seep in. An English style cucumber, with the skin on, is the best option. They have fewer seeds and a thinner skin than other varieties, making them easier to slice and eat.

Start by selecting the best English cucumbers. Look for cucumbers that are firm, bright green, and free of bruises or blemishes.

How to Make Cucumber Salad

To serve, you can enjoy this cucumber salad on its own or as a side dish to grilled meats, fish, or vegetables. It’s also a great addition to a Mediterranean-style mezze platter.

Step one: Slice and Salt Cucumbers

For as little as $15 you can buy a mandolin slicer to slice your cucumber into thin, even slices, giving you the best and most consistent results.

How to Get Even Slices

Wash and dry your cucumbers. Cut off the ends and slice the cucumbers evenly. Then slice using a Mandolin Slicer. A sharp knife can also be used to get even slices. So if you don’t have a mandolin slicer, just use a knife.

Once your cucumbers are sliced, put them in a bowl, and sprinkle the kosher salt over the top. This will help draw the excess moisture out of the cucumbers, and help them stay crisp, and allow for a bolder, more intense flavor with the dressing. So toss them in the salt, and set them aside so the salt can do its work!

Step two: Mix Together Dressing

The next step is to mix the dressing ingredients together. You don’t need a large bowl, and you just want to whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved and melted into the liquids.

Step three: Drain Cucumbers

Now you simple drain the cucumbers, there should be water in the bottom. Each cucumber surface will likely also have liquid on them. So take a paper towel, and pat the top of the cucumbers dry.

Step four: Add the Dressing

Now you are going to mix your drained and dried cucumbers with your dressing! Pour it over the top and stir.

Step five: Garnish and Serve

Now you can serve your cucumbers, garnish them with some coarsely chopped peanuts and some sesame seeds. The longer the cucumbers sit in the marinade/dressing, the bolder the flavor will be. So give them time to marinade a little before garnishing and serving.

Make Ahead and Storage

If you want to make this cucumber salad ahead of time, you can prepare the ingredients and dressing separately and then mix them together about 15 minutes before serving. This will help to prevent the cucumbers from becoming too watery. Simply garnish just before serving.

To store leftover cucumber salad, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. After that time, the cucumber will likely lose their crunchiness.

Cucumbers are a popular ingredient in many Asian cuisines, they are crisp and refreshing, and their texture pairs perfectly with the bold and complex flavors of Asian cuisine. Here is why we love this flavor combo:

Cucumbers add a refreshing element: Many Asian dishes can be quite spicy or rich, the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha all add to this, but the cucumbers can help to balance out these flavors with their cool and refreshing taste. In Chinese cuisine, cucumbers are often served alongside hot pot or spicy Sichuan dishes to help cool down the palate.
Cucumbers have a mild flavor: Cucumbers have a mild and slightly sweet flavor that pairs well with a wide range of Asian flavors. They can add crunch and texture without adding any kind of bold flavor or bitterness.
Cucumbers are nutritious: Cucumbers are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. They are also low in calories and high in water content, making them a healthy and hydrating addition to any meal, and especially awesome during those hot summer months.

Other Great Recipes

Here are a few other cucumber recipes you will love:

Asian Cucumber Salad

Crispy refreshing cucumber salad with an asian dressing, and garnished with sesame seeds and peanuts.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian cucumber salad, cucumber salad

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

Servings:

Calories: 48kcal

Ingredients

1 large english cucumber sliced thing
1/2 Tbs kosher salt

Dressing

1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
2 tsps brown sugar
1 tsp sriracha or hot sauce to taste
2 pinches red pepper flakes

Garnish

2 Tbs dry roasted peanuts coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp white or black sesame seeds or a mixture of both

Instructions

Using a mandolin slicer, cut the cucumbers into thin, even slices.
Add cucumbers to a bowl, and toss with the kosher salt, set aside.
In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, sriracha, and red pepper flakes together, stir until sugar dissolves.
Drain the cucumber slices, pat with a paper towel to remove excess water on the surface of the cucumbers.
Add cucumbers back into the big bowl, and toss with the dressing
Garnish with sesame seeds
Recipe slightly adapted from Appetite for China

Nutrition

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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Easy Asian Cucumber Salad