Refreshing, crunchy, and flavorful with a nice kick, this spicy Asian cucumber salad is the perfect side dish for the warmer weather! This amazing recipe is super easy to make and ready in 20 minutes.
A cucumber by itself can be pretty flavorless and bland, but by spicing it up with a chili oil dressing, it is transformed into this incredible spicy Asian cucumber salad!
This versatile salad can be paired with many Asian main dishes, particularly heartier mains like Chinese claypot tofu and oyster sauce noodles.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Vibrant, crisp, and packed with flavors
- The perfect summer side that is meat-eaters approved
- A delicious way to get in your daily serving of veg
- A quick and simple recipe that is ready in 20 minutes!
🥒What kind of cucumber to use
I love using Japanese cucumbers as they are mild in flavor, seedless and have a thinner peel. Persian and English cucumbers will work as well! Mini cucumbers are another great type, but you will need to use 5-6 of them.
I do not recommend using American cucumbers as they have tough, thick skin and large seeds, which can be unpleasant to bite into. They also have a high water content which will water down the dressing.
🌶️What you will need
📃Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cucumbers - Use Japanese, Persian, or English cucumbers or this recipe. American cucumbers are not suitable for making this salad.
- Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use a gluten-free brand if needed.
- Rice vinegar - Can be substituted with white vinegar. Chinese black vinegar will also work, but it will have a more robust and complex flavor.
- Chili oil - A chili-infused oil that is popular in Asian cooking. You can find it in most groceries, usually in the international section or your local Asian market. Alternatively, buy your chili oil online.
- Sugar - Any granulated sweetener, like cane sugar, table sugar, or brown sugar, will work. You can use sugar substitutes like erythritol too.
🔪How to make
Sweating cucumber - Add cucumber and salt in a bowl, and toss until the salt is well distributed. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain and rinse the cucumber thoroughly.
Making the dressing - In a bowl, combine all ingredients needed to make the dressing.
Putting everything together - Pour dressing into cucumber slices, and toss until cucumbers are well coated. Serve immediately, or let it sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before digging in to allow the cucumbers to absorb the flavors.
✅Helpful tips
- Slicing cucumbers - You can cut cucumbers with a sharp knife or use a ¼-inch thick mandolin slicer.
- Sweating cucumbers - This step helps draw out some water from the cucumbers, producing a more flavorful salad as the dressing will be less watered down. This will also help cucumbers maintain their crunch. You can skip it if you are short on time.
- Rinse well after salting - Ensure that cucumber slices are well rinsed after sweating them to prevent your Asian cucumber salad from being too salty.
- Allowing salad to marinate - If you have time, let the salad sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before serving. This will yield a more flavorful salad.
- Make it your own - Adjust the amount of seasonings added to suit your taste. Get creative and add other seasonings that compliment the flavor of this salad!
- Storing - This spicy Asian cucumber salad can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. I DO NOT recommend keeping it longer than that, as the cucumber will lose its crunchiness.
✨Variations and add-ins
Make it extra spicy - This salad is only mildly spicy and is tolerable by most. However, if you would like to dial up the heat, add some sriracha or chili flakes.
Veggies - Besides cucumber, you can add other veggies like sliced onion, tomato chunks, and wood ear mushrooms.
Toppings - Top your Asian cucumber salad with toasted sesame seeds or chopped peanuts to give it more texture and flavor!
🍜How to serve
This spicy Asian cucumber salad can be served as an appetizer or side dish to accompany various Asian mains.
I especially love serving it with Chinese main dishes like tofu in oyster sauce and soy sauce tofu. Sometimes, I pair it with noodle dishes like my stir-fried rice vermicelli.
❔Commonly asked questions
It is unnecessary to peel your cucumbers for salads, especially if you use Japanese, English, or Persian cucumbers with very thin peels. However, feel free to peel them if you prefer to enjoy them this way!
It is highly recommended that you salt your cucumbers before using them in salads to remove some moisture. This will help retain their crispiness and yield a more flavorful salad as the dressing is diluted.
🥗More salad recipe
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium Japanese cucumber or English/Persian cucumber (around 450g/16oz)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Chinese chili oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Add cucumber and salt in a bowl, and toss until the salt is well distributed. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain and rinse the cucumber thoroughly.
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients needed to make the dressing.
- Pour dressing into cucumber slices, and toss until cucumbers are well coated. Serve immediately, or let it sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before digging in to allow time for the cucumbers to absorb the flavors.
Notes
- Rinse well after salting - Ensure that cucumber slices are well rinsed after sweating them to prevent your Asian cucumber salad from being too salty.
- Allowing salad to marinate - If you have time, let the salad sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before serving. This will yield a more flavorful salad.
- Make it your own - Adjust the amount of seasonings added to suit your taste. Get creative and add other seasonings that compliment the flavor of this salad!
- Storing - This spicy Asian cucumber salad can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. I DO NOT recommend keeping it longer than that, as the cucumber will lose its crunchiness.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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