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.
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.
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.
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.
PREPARING THE SEASONING
This part is easily customisable! Feel free to adjust everything to your liking.
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.
PUTTING THE SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD TOGETHER
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.
Find the recipe for this Spicy Cucumber Salad below! Enjoy :)
OTHER VEGAN CHINESE RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Spicy Cucumber Salad
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
You can also use rice vinegar or even apple cider vinegar and adjust the sugar according to your desired sweetness and acidity levels.
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This is unbelievably good! So simple too.
happy to hear!! thanks so much Mariana ◡̈
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!
Glad you liked it Lindsey! I make this regularly too and love it with rice ◡̈
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?
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!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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!
Haha I hope you got to enjoy the bbq ribs with the salad!
What a way to eat cucumber! I love your recipes! This is SO tasty!
Thanks Natalia! Glad you liked it ◡̈