Facebook-f Pinterest Instagram Youtube Tiktok
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
Menu
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
Menu
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
  • All Posts
  • All Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
  • Asian Recipes
    • Southeast Asian
      • Thai Food
      • Filipino Food
      • Vietnamese Food
      • Indonesian Food
    • East Asian
      • Korean Food
      • Japanese Food
      • Chinese Food
    • Fusion
  • Tofu Recipes
    • Favorite Tofu Recipes
  • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
    • Ramen and Noodle Soups
  • Sauces and Dips
  • Sides and Snacks
  • Sweets and Desserts
  • More
    • Finger Food
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Savoury Dishes
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Pantry Recipes
    • Pantry-Friendly Recipes
    • Lifestyle and Travel
Menu
  • All Posts
  • All Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
  • Asian Recipes
    • Southeast Asian
      • Thai Food
      • Filipino Food
      • Vietnamese Food
      • Indonesian Food
    • East Asian
      • Korean Food
      • Japanese Food
      • Chinese Food
    • Fusion
  • Tofu Recipes
    • Favorite Tofu Recipes
  • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
    • Ramen and Noodle Soups
  • Sauces and Dips
  • Sides and Snacks
  • Sweets and Desserts
  • More
    • Finger Food
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Savoury Dishes
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Pantry Recipes
    • Pantry-Friendly Recipes
    • Lifestyle and Travel
Categories
  • Jeeca Jeeca
  • - July 2, 2021
  • - 8:32 am

Spicy Cucumber Salad

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
Sliced pieces of Spicy Cucumber Salad in a bowl

Here’s a simple yet really refreshing Spicy Cucumber Salad with a kick from the chili oil and bold flavours from the mix of garlic, soy sauce, and Chinese black vinegar. It’s also infused with some sesame oil and sesame seeds for that extra bite.

THIS SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD IS

  • Refreshing
  • Packed with bold flavours
  • Really simple to put together
  • Perfect enjoyed as a starter, side, or snack!

This is best enjoyed cold and when the cucumbers have soaked the flavours of the sauce for at least 30 minutes.

SMACKING THE CUCUMBERS

Smacking the cucumbers before slicing them creates these uneven cuts and texture that you don’t get from simply slicing the cucumber.

For this recipe, I used Japanese cucumbers. To start, cut the ends off of each cucumber.

2 whole Japanese cucumbers on a board

Place the cucumber on a flat surface or your chopping board. If you want to avoid cucumber seeds flying all the over your kitchen counter, you can cover the cucumber with some plastic or cling wrap.

2 whole Japanese cucumbers smashed on a board

Smack the cucumbers a few times with a rolling pin or the flat blade of a cleaver to split them.

Afterwards, slice each cucumber into 1-inch thick slices. 

2 whole smashed and sliced Japanese cucumbers smashed on a bamboo cutting board

Place the cucumber in a strainer with a bowl underneath. Sprinkle the cucumbers with the salt and mix well

Set the cucumber aside for at least 15 minutes to release the excess liquid.

Salted, smashed and sliced Japanese cucumbers in a bowl

You can opt to rinse the cucumbers under running water two or three times to wash off the salt, or set them aside and add them directly to the sauce if you want saltier cucumbers.

Afterwards, discard the liquid rom the cucumber.

PREPARING THE SEASONING

This part is easily customisable! Feel free to adjust everything to your liking.

Light soy sauce bottle, cucumber salad dressing, and bottles of sesame seeds, sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar

Meanwhile, combine the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, vinegar and chili garlic sauce/chili oil in the bowl. Taste and then adjust the seasoning depending on your preference.

Spicy cucumber salad dressing in a bowl

PUTTING THE SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD TOGETHER

Place the cucumber in a large bowl and pour in the sauce.

Bowl of cucumbers with Spicy dressing mixed together

Mix everything together until the cucumber is well coated. This is best enjoyed cold after the cucumber has been refrigerated and marinated in the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Find the recipe for this Spicy Cucumber Salad below! Enjoy 🙂

OTHER VEGAN CHINESE RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

  • Chinese Green Bean and Mushroom Stir-Fry
  • Crispy Wontons
  • Vegetable Dumplings
  • Chinese Chive Pies
  • Pan-Fried Cabbage and Noodle Buns
  • Wontons in Chili Broth
  • Scallion and Sesame Buns
Sliced pieces of Spicy Cucumber Salad in a bowl

Spicy Cucumber Salad

5 from 11 votes
Here’s a simple yet really refreshing Spicy Cucumber Salad with a kick from the chili oil and bold flavours from the mix of garlic, soy sauce, and Chinese black vinegar. It’s also infused with some sesame oil and sesame seeds for that extra bite.
Print Recipe Pin this Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cucumber Soak Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Snacks
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Servings 2
Calories 79 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 280 g Japanese cucumbers I used 2
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Sauce/Dressing

  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 to 1 tbsp light soy sauce , regular soy sauce is okay too
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2-1 tbsp black vinegar or Chinkiang vinegar see notes
  • 2 tsp chili garlic sauce or chili oil adjust to your desired spice

Instructions
 

  • Cut the ends off of each cucumber. Place both cucumbers on a chopping board then smack the cucumbers a few times with a rolling pin or the flat blade of a cleaver to split them. If you want to avoid cucumber seeds flying all the over your kitchen counter, you can cover the cucumber with some plastic or cling wrap.
  • Afterwards, slice each cucumber into 1-inch thick slices.
  • Place the cucumber in a strainer with a bowl underneath. Sprinkle the cucumbers with the salt and mix well. Set the cucumber aside for at least 15 minutes to release the excess liquid. You can opt to rinse the cucumbers under running water two or three times to wash off the salt, or set them aside and add them directly to the sauce if you want saltier cucumbers.
  • Afterwards, discard the liquid rom the cucumber.

SAUCE/DRESSING

  • Meanwhile, combine the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, vinegar and chili garlic sauce/chili oil in the bowl. Taste and then adjust the seasoning depending on your preference.

MIXING THE SALAD

  • Place the cucumber in a large bowl and pour in the sauce.
  • Mix everything together until the cucumber is well coated. This is best enjoyed cold after the cucumber has been refrigerated and marinated in the mixture for at least 30 minutes. These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

WATCH Video

Notes

Vinegar
You can also use rice vinegar or even apple cider vinegar and adjust the sugar according to your desired sweetness and acidity levels.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1127mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 147IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

You can Pin these Images:

This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Mariana 1 Nov 2021 Reply

    5 stars
    This is unbelievably good! So simple too.

    1. Jeeca 1 Nov 2021 Reply

      happy to hear!! thanks so much Mariana ◡̈

  2. Lindsey 9 Mar 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    So good! I made this today for lunch with some rice and crispy tofu and I could eat this every day! Love the cold of the cucumber mixed with the spicy sauce. Will make forever and ever!

    1. Jeeca 10 Mar 2022 Reply

      Glad you liked it Lindsey! I make this regularly too and love it with rice ◡̈

  3. Angela Marian 19 Apr 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    Hi there
    I’m wondering if, after making this recipe, you can put this into a sterilised jar and use it as an accompaniment to a cold meat/cheese platter?

    1. Jeeca 20 Apr 2022 Reply

      Hi Angela! Haven’t tried it myself but it should work. Maybe best would be to thinly slice the cucumber? Let me know if you get to try it out!

  4. Tiffany Wright 31 Aug 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My fiancé and I tried the cucumber salad at one of the Asian restaurants that we frequent inside a local casino recently. We thought the crunch would be a nice change, and cold cucumber sounded great after a hot day by the pool in the humid desert heat. We were hooked after the first bite. By the time the bowl was empty we were Pinning recipes to try at home. We’re serving this tonight alongside Korean BBQ Baby Back Ribs, assuming we can stop “taste testing” it from now until then!

    1. Jeeca 1 Sep 2022 Reply

      Haha I hope you got to enjoy the bbq ribs with the salad!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Noodles The Foodie Takes Flight

Hello there!

I’m Jeeca, a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.

​ MORE ABOUT TFTF >

MY COOKBOOK

Vegan Asian Cookbook

Subscribe for recipes and updates

Search for a recipe:

Search
PrevPeanut Miso Vermicelli Noodle Salad
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Miso Butter Sauce (Vegan)Next

Latest Recipes

Filipino Tofu Curry with coconut milk, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers

Filipino Tofu Curry

GET THE RECIPE »
vegan rodic's style tapa with garlic rice

Rodic’s Tapa (Vegan Filipino Recipe)

GET THE RECIPE »
shredded tofu bulgogi rice bowl

Shredded Tofu Bulgogi Bowl

GET THE RECIPE »
spicy eggplant with minced pork in a plate

Spicy Eggplant and Minced ‘Pork’

GET THE RECIPE »
soy sauce fried rice

The Ultimate Soy Sauce Fried Rice

GET THE RECIPE »
cheesy potato and broccoli soup

Cheesy Potato and Broccoli Soup (Vegan)

GET THE RECIPE »
Page1 Page2 Page3 … Page10
Search
TFTF ICON LOGO 2021

RECIPES

SHOP MY ESSENTIALS

ABOUT

COOKBOOKS

FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Youtube Facebook Instagram Pinterest Tiktok

PRIVACY POLICY