This Asian Cucumber Salad packs so much flavor and crunch,, and looks super fun with the cucumber spirals. Packed with chili oil, sesame, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and more. This bright, zesty, crunchy cucumber salad is the perfect side dish, and it’s ready in 20 minutes.
Who can resist a cucumber salad? Especially when it’s super flavorful like this one! It’s similar to our popular Papaya Salad where flavors are so unique and textures are a dream!
One of our other simple vegetarian sides where cucumber shines so brightly is the Feta Cucumber Salad Bites. A burst of the Mediterranean with every bite!
Why You’ll Love this Salad
It’s such a bright and refreshing take on salads! It involves only one ingredient that’s so well dressed up and so satisfying to enjoy on its own.
You can enjoy it with any type of cucumber, and you can absolutely cut it up in many shapes–although we love the spirals 🙂 The salad can be paired with any main dish, or prepared for a potluck, picnic, BBQ, holiday table and more!
We also love that we can play around with the types of chillies and spices from Korean to Chinese to Thai, more on this below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cucumbers. Classically for the spiral shape we use the small Persian cucumbers, however you can use any type of seedless cucumbers you have.
- Chili Oil Recipe. We love this homemade chili oil recipe and keep it at all times in our pantry!
- Seasoning /Dressing. Salt, Sugar, rive vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil are the basics.
- Sesame Seeds. optional for crunch and texture.
- Scallions. The best combo with the cucumbers, and still completely optional.
How to Make Asian Cucumber Salad
Cut The Cucumbers
- To make the viral spiral looking asian cucumber salad, you’ll need to cut the spirals first. Alternatively if you’re short on time, smash the cucumbers into chunks and you’re good to go!
- Place the cucumber one at a time over two chopsticks.Use a sharp paring knife, and slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle making sure not to go all the way through. The chopsticks will prevent you from cutting all the way through. Make slits about 1/4-1/3 inch apart.
- Flip the cucumber on the other side and now make the same slits except in a straight line, no angles at all. use the same interval of inches.
- And at that point you have the perfect shaped spiral cucumebrs!
Salt The Cucumbers
- This is such an important step irrespective of the cut you decide for the cucumbers. Salting will drian excess moisture and water which will prevent you from ending up with a soggy salad. A watery salad is not fun.
- Draining excess water will also crisp up your cucumber so you get a really crisp salad which is optimal.
- After salting for 10-15 minutes, you’ll drain the water at the bottom of your plate and use a paper towel to pat dry the cucumbers.
Dress the Salad
- Here’s the fun part, finishing off the dish! Add the scallions right over the cucumbers, and toss well.
- Then add in the remaining ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, and finish off with a healthy amount of Chili Oil Recipe.
- Toss the salad together and you’re ready to enjoy!
Asian Cucumber Salad Tips
- Make sure you have the right type of cucumbers for this recipe. Seedless is key. Other than that, any type would work. However for the spiral cut, you’ll need the Persian small cucumbers.
- If you don’t want that spiral shape, cut the cucumbers into 1 inch chunks and smash them. Alternatively you can ust smash them into irregular chunks.
- You can also use a fork to scrape the skin off and make dents for the dressing to seep in.
- If making spirals, make sure to use chopsticks to guide you so you don’t cut all the way through. Also follow the step by step above or in the video.
- Salting the cucumbers is KEY to crisp salad!
- Have the chili oil recipe ready ahead of time, you will use it endlessly!
- Dress the salad and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 hours before serving if you want the flavors to blend in.
Storage
We recommend enjoying this asian cucumber salad the same day as it looses some of it’s crisp texture with time. The flavors will be amazing with time, but the texture will be compromised. The salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What’s the best type of cucumber to use?
As long as they are seedless, then any type works well. However for the spiral shape, you’ll need small Persian cucumbers.
Asian Cucumber Salad
This Asian Cucumber Salad packs so much flavor and crunch,, and looks super fun with the cucumber spirals. Packed with chili oil, sesame, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and more. This bright, zesty, crunchy cucumber salad is the perfect side dish, and it’s ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
-
7-8
small cucumbers -
1
tablespoon
salt -
4
scallions
chopped (greens only or the whole scallion)
Dressing
-
1
teaspoon
soy sauce -
2
teaspoons
rice vinegar -
1 1/2
teaspoons
sugar -
1/3
cp chilli oil -
1
tablespoons
sesame
extra if needed -
Chilli flakes
of needed
Instructions
-
Cut, slice or smash the cucumber.
-
Alternatively you can make the spiral shape by placing the cucumber over two chopsticks.
-
Cut on a 45 degree angle diagonal, half inch interval slices.
-
Then flip the cucumber over the chopsticks and cut in a straight angle half inch interval slices.
-
The cucumber will have the unique spiral shape.
-
Slat the cucumber heavily and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to remove excess moisture.
-
Remove the excess water, pat dry the cucumbers and season them with the remaining ingredients.
-
Toss well and enjoy right away!
Recipe Notes
Asian Cucumber Salad Tips
- Make sure you have the right type of cucumbers for this recipe. Seedless is key. Other than that, any type would work. However for the spiral cut, you’ll need the Persian small cucumbers.
- If you don’t want that spiral shape, cut the cucumbers into 1 inch chunks and smash them. Alternatively you can ust smash them into irregular chunks.
- You can also use a fork to scrape the skin off and make dents for the dressing to seep in.
- If making spirals, make sure to use chopsticks to guide you so you don’t cut all the way through. Also follow the step by step above or in the video.
- Salting the cucumbers is KEY to crisp salad!
- Have the chili oil recipe ready ahead of time, you will use it endlessly!
- Dress the salad and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 hours before serving if you want the flavors to blend in.
Storage
We recommend enjoying this asian cucumber salad the same day as it looses some of it’s crisp texture with time. The flavors will be amazing with time, but the texture will be compromised. The salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What’s the best type of cucumber to use?
As long as they are seedless, then any type works well. However for the spiral shape, you’ll need small Persian cucumbers.
Nutrition Facts
Asian Cucumber Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 85
Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 0.2g1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.4g
Sodium 1841mg80%
Potassium 760mg22%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 498IU10%
Vitamin C 19mg23%
Calcium 103mg10%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.