Description
This Easy Asian Cucumber Salad is a refreshing, crunchy side dish tossed in a tangy, savory, and slightly spicy dressing. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s perfect for pairing with rich, bold mains or serving as a light appetizer.
Ingredients
4 Persian cucumbers
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2–1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp chili oil (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse cucumbers and slice one end at an angle. Continue slicing at that angle to create oval slices.
- Toss cucumber slices with 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Drain the liquid, rinse cucumbers briefly under water, and pat dry.
- Return cucumbers to the bowl and add sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, chili oil, sesame seeds, and garlic (if using).
- Toss well until cucumbers are evenly coated in the dressing.
- Serve immediately for best flavor and crunch.
Notes
- Persian or English cucumbers work best for this salad due to their crisp texture and thin skins.
- Adjust chili oil to control spice level.
- For extra crunch, add thinly sliced red onion or green onions.
- Salting and sweating cucumbers is key to keeping the salad crunchy—don’t skip this step.
- Best enjoyed fresh, but can be stored (undressed) in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
