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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.  Video!  See our 20+ Refreshing Cucumber Recipes  and  40 Must-Try Vegan Salads!

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! #cucumbersalad 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

Asian Cucumber Salad made with rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, garlic and soy 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! #cucumbersalad

Ingredients in Asian Cucumber Salad:

types of cucumber to use in cucumber salad

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.

scoring the skin with a fork, elevates the salad

Expert Tips:

  1. 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!
  2. 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.

salt the cucumber to release their juices, making the salad even more flavorful.

So if you have time, salt the cucumbers, and place in a strainer– for 20 minutes or up to a few hours!

strain the cucumber liquid

Chop up your herbs. Here I’m simply using scallions, but feel free to play with chives, cilantro, or even Thai basil!

chop the scallions and gather the dressing ingredients

Gather your Asian Dressing Ingredients:

You can directly add these to the salad bowl with the strained cucumbers and toss. Simple!

Asian Cucumber Dressing Ingredients!

Grate a little ginger into the salad.

Grate the ginger

Grate a little garlic into the bowl.

grate the garlic clove

For a little heat- add Red chili paste or sriracha.

add red chili paste for more spice

Mix it all up and adjust salt and spice level to your liking.

Asian Cucumber Salad made with rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, garlic and soy 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! #cucumbersalad

The Asian Cucumber Salad will last 3 days in the fridge- if it makes it that long!

What to serve with Asian Cucumber Salad:

Asian Cucumber Salad made with rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, garlic and soy 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! #cucumbersalad

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.

 

Asian Cucumber Salad made with rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, garlic and soy 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! #cucumbersalad

More recipes you may like:

This recipe for Asian Cucumber Salad is made with rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, garlic and soy 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! #cucumbersalad

Enjoy the Asian Cucumber Salad- please leave your feedback and/or adaptions below, everyone loves reading these!

Hope you are having a lovely week. All is well here, hope it is with you too.

xoxo

Sylvia

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Asian Cucumber Salad made with rice vinegar, sesame, ginger, garlic and soy 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! #cucumbersalad

Asian Cucumber Salad

★★★★★ 4.9 from 65 reviews
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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

Units Scale
  • 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, Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acid or Coconut amino acid.
  • 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

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Taste and adjust salt to your liking. Add more chili paste if you like.
  5. 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)

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 89
  • Sugar: 6.4 g
  • Sodium: 404.5 mg
  • Fat: 4.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.5 g
  • Fiber: 1.4 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: Asian Cucumber Salad, Cucumber Salad with Rice vinegar, Asian Cucumber Salad recipe, Asian Cucumber Salad soy, vegan cucumber salad

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Comments

  2. Easy to make and delicious! Perfect on a hot day, to cook me off! So crisp and light, with a touch of heat! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    1. Wonderful Kristine! I am envious of the hot weather, raining here in the Pacific Northwest!

      Reply

  5. I only had powdered garlic and ginger, but it still turned out fantastic! A wonderful balance of sweet, salty and sour.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  7. This is consistently delicious… I’m someone who rarely measures exactly, but it ALWAYS turns out phenomenal. To cut down on raw garlic, I sub in garlic powder (the rest of the ingredients are strong enough to stand up to this change).

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  8. Beautiful, maybe a good idea to halve the sesame oil if you don’t like it, no problems with me though!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Lovely delicate flavor, perfect to counterbalance other Asian foods. The ratio of liquid to cucumber is perfect; the end result is far less watery than similar cucumber salad recipes I’ve used.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. This was a good sauce, but the sesame flavor was so strong. I ended up adding more chili sauce, maple syrup and ginger to balance it out. I put it over carrots for my ramen bowl, I can’t wait to try them!

    ★★★

    Reply

    1. Oh shoot- I guess you can always cut it back. I love the toasty same flavor but may not be for you1

      Reply

  11. I have made this twice now in the last two weeks. We love it! I find it’s best to make it and let it sit for a while to absorb the flavors. The sauce does get a bit watered down from the cucumbers but it’s still delicious. I follow the recipe exactly. No reason to change anything.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    1. Use a lighter vinegar-champagne vinegar, or maybe AC vinegar but go a little lighter?

      Reply

  17. I just prepared this Asian cucumber salad to serve with my Thanksgiving seared yellowtail. I had to use ingredients I had on hand. I added onions and chives. It is so gorgeous and delicious! I can’t wait to present it tomorrow with baby greens and tuna.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  20. Hello,
    Would it ruin the taste if I left out the ginger? I don’t have fresh or ground. I do have some ground turmeric. Thank you

    Reply

  21. This is the easiest and most delicious Asian cucumber salad. I could eat it every day. Made exactly according to recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  22. At last, I have finished my fast and I made this cucumber salad.
    It was delicious. Best of all it was as good and crunchy the next day. Cucumber has not been a veg I use much but I will now. Thank you

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  23. Please note that it’s not gluten-free as you’re using soy sauce. Soy sauce will cause a reaction to anyone that’s GF. The GF substitute is Tamari that has no wheat.

    ★★★

    Reply

    1. Hi Ai- yes, I understand. I used Coconut Amino Acids in the recipe which is GF. I think Tamari would be too salty here. 🙂

      Reply

      1. Actually the Tamari was PERFECT!

        I Made two (2) batches and I don’t think any of it will be here by day’s end!!

        Reply

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Hi, I'm Sylvia!

Chef and author of the whole-foods recipe blog, Feasting at Home, Sylvia Fountaine is a former restaurant owner and caterer turned full-time food blogger. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest and shares seasonal, healthy recipes along with tips and tricks from her home kitchen.

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