This Asian Cucumber Salad is cool and refreshing and pairs well with many things. It’s vegan and gluten-free and is a nice addition to meals and bowls you are already making! With a video!
I am not these bones, this flesh, this greying hair, I am the fire inside the shell, passing the light forward.
Here’s a simple recipe for Asian Cucumber Salad, that I think you will fall in love with. It’s fast and easy and light and delicious! Cool, refreshing cucumbers are just what I crave during the hot summer months and this salad is no exception. It hits all the flavor notes as well- such a great combo!
And although I went the generic route and called this “Asian”, you can take this Cucumber Salad in many different directions based on what you are serving. For example, to go with a more Thai theme, you could add fish sauce, lime juice, Thai Basil, and crushed peanuts. To give it more of a Korean twist and add Gochujang. Leave out the chili paste and garlic to give it more of a Japanese spin. You get the idea. 🙂
Asian Cucumber Salad | 30-sec video
What you’ll need to make Asian Cucumber Salad:
- thin-skinned cucumbers (English, Turkish, Persian)
- salt
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- soy sauce or liquid amino acids
- maple syrup (or honey)
- garlic
- ginger
- chili paste
What kind of cucumbers to use?
Use thin-skinned burpless cucumbers like Persian, Turkish or English Cucumbers, for the least bitterness and best flavor. Waxy cucumbers will work in a pinch but you will need to peel them first.
Expert Tips:
- Scoring the cucumber with the tines of a fork before slicing allows the dressing to cling to the cucumbers, making each and every bite more flavorful! A reader recently reminded me of this and it is SO true. Thanks, Joseph!
- Salting the cucumber beforehand helps release liquid, also creating a more flavorful salad as the dressing doesn’t get as watered down. Of course, you can skip this if in a hurry.
So if you have time, salt the cucumbers, and place in a strainer– for 20 minutes or up to a few hours!
Chop up your herbs. Here I’m simply using scallions, but feel free to play with chives, cilantro, or even Thai basil!
Gather your Salad Dressing Ingredients:
You can directly add these to the salad bowl with the strained cucumbers and toss. Simple!
Grate a little ginger into the salad.
Grate a little garlic into the bowl.
For a little heat- add Red chili paste or sriracha.
Mix it all up and adjust salt and spice level to your liking.
The Asian Cucumber Salad will last 3 days in the fridge- if it makes it that long!
What to serve with Asian Cucumber Salad:
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- JAPANESE FARM STYLE TERIYAKI BOWL
- Seoul Bowl (Vegan Bibimbap!)
- Thai Turkey Burger Recipe w/ Asian Slaw
- Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Szechuan Sauce
- Miso Mushroom Bowl
- Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
- Instant Pot Peanut Chicken
- Indonesian Grilled Sambal Chicken
- Pan-Seared Thai Chicken with Red Curry Paste
Asian Cucumber Salad Variations:
- Thai Version: add crushed roasted peanuts, fish sauce and lime juice or tamarind (replace some of the vinegar).
- Korean Version: Add Gochujang, cilantro and extra ginger and garlic.
- Japanese Version: Leave out the garlic and chili paste, try chive blossoms.
More cucumber recipes you may like:
- Cucumber Salad with Jalapeno & Lime
- Chilled Cucumber Melon Soup
- CUCUMBER GAZPACHO
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Easy Crunchy Asian Slaw
Enjoy the Asian Cucumber Salad- please leave your feedback and/or adaptions below.
Hope you are having a lovely week. All is well here, hope it is with you too.
xoxo
PrintAsian Cucumber Salad
- Prep Time: 25
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-5
- Category: salad, vegan
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Asian Cucumber Salad is made with rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, garlic and soy, cool and refreshing and pairs well with many things. It’s vegan and gluten-free and is a nice addition to meals and bowls you are already making!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Turkish, Persian or English cucumbers (about 5 cups sliced)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4–5 scallions, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey, or sugar)
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste (or sriracha, both optional) more to taste
- 1–2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Using the tines of a fork, score the cucumbers lengthwise- this will help the dressing cling to the cucumber. (Feel free to skip if in a hurry.)
- Slice the cucumbers thinly. Place in a bowl and toss with the salt to help them release water. Let this stand while you gather the remaining ingredients.
- Strain the cucumbers, (do not rinse) place them in a large bowl and add the scallions, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, optional red chili paste and toasted sesame seeds. Mix to combine.
- Taste and adjust salt to your liking. Add more chili paste if you like.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. This is best served the same day but will keep up to 3 days.
Notes
Optional Additions: (see variations in post body)
- fish sauce, Lime juice, crushed roasted peanuts, Gochujang, cilantro or Thai Basil, red onions, peanut chili crunch, radishes
Keywords: Asian Cucumber Salad, Cucumber Salad with Rice vinegar, Asian Cucumber Salad recipe, Asian Cucumber Salad soy, vegan cucumber salad
I’ve been making (and refining) a variation of this for about a year now – when my love of Asian cuisine really started to kick into high drive – but thanks to you, my quest is over. Your recipe is perfection and no refining or changing is necessary…and why would you mess with a good thing?!?? (A GREAT thing!)
I think it was your extra tips of scouring the cukes, and definitely salting them beforehand. But I was already doing that, whereas I wasn’t doing the scouring. You’re on to something with that and this recipe is just…divine. It’s currently 4am and I’m eating a (small-ish) plate. THANK YOU!!!
★★★★★
Thanks Brittany- so happy this worked for you!
Hello from Las Vegas ! I made this salad and it turned out beautiful. Salting the cucumbers is a super smart tip! Also scouring the cucumbers added extra flavor & made me feel fancy 😄 thank you for sharing !!
★★★★★
Awesome Merrily!
Merrily…I just said almost the EXACT same things, verbatim.
So not only do I wanna say that I fully agree with you…I just want to share it with as many people as possible that I’m currently eating this as a 4am snack. 😆 And it’s soooo not even close to the first time I’ve done this with this recipe. HA!
★★★★★
I live this recipe -thank you! I also love this quote you posted:
“I am not these bones, this flesh, this greying hair, I am the fire inside the shell, passing the light forward. “
Can you share who is the author of this bit of wisdom?
★★★★★
Thanks Cindy. The quote is from me. I wrote it in my journal a couple of years ago and thought I’d share. 🙂