Asian Cucumber Salad
With a sweet and tangy dressing and plenty of crunch from peanuts, this Asian Cucumber Salad is one of my favorites! It’s an easy, healthy side dish that adds a punch of flavor, and it’s ready in a jiffy. After a few minutes in the fridge to let the flavors combine, it’s ready! Refreshing, tangy, and loaded with ginger and garlic, this cucumber salad recipe is amazing!
I love this Asian Cucumber Salad. Inspired by a salad my daughter-in-law makes, this crunch Asian Cucumber Salad with peanuts is pretty nearly perfect. I love the spicy kick of the fresh ginger, and the dressing is savory, tangy, and sweet all at once.
Asian Cucumber Salad
The trick to this recipe is to slice the cucumbers as thinly as possible. I use a mandolin to get them super thin and evenly cut – just watch your fingers!
Read more: Asian Cucumber Salad
Also, use English cucumbers for this recipe. They’re widely available and have thin, edible skin and hardly any seeds, which makes them perfect for cucumber salads.
This Asian cucumber salad recipe is a keeper! It’s perfect with grilled chicken or kebabs, your favorite dumplings, or other Asian dishes.
Why I love this recipe
- It’s crunchy, refreshing, tangy, a bit sweet, and packed full of flavor.
- It pairs perfectly with so many dishes, especially grilled chicken or any other Asian dishes.
- Designed to serve 8 as a side dish, this is easy to divide in half to make just enough for the family for dinner.
- Perfect potluck salad (and affordable).
Gather these ingredients for Asian Cucumber Salad
- English cucumbers – You’ll need about 4 cucumbers.
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Sugar
- Salt
- Red pepper flakes – To add a bit of heat.
- Garlic – Use fresh cloves and mince them finely.
- Ginger – Grate the ginger for the best flavor.
- Sesame seeds – Toast them to bring out their nutty flavor.
- Green onions – Thinly sliced.
- Peanuts – Finely chopped.
How to make this Asian Cucumber Salad
- Combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a large bowl. Whisk until combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Slice the cucumbers on a mandolin. You want them to be thin but not so thin they’re falling apart.
- Add the cucumbers to the bowl and gently toss with the dressing.
- Rest the salad in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Sprinkle the salad with the sesame seeds, green onions, and chopped peanuts just before serving, then toss to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- Use English cucumbers for this recipe; you can eat the skin and seeds. Or, peel regular cucumbers and scoop the seeds out before thinly slicing.
- The salt will draw the water out of the cucumbers so don’t let it rest too long before serving or it’ll get watery.
- Like it spicy? Add a bit more red chili flakes to turn the heat up.
- Toast the peanuts for extra crunch before adding them to the salad.
Serving suggestions
I love this salad, and it pairs so well with other dishes, especially this Asian Braised Beef, tuna with toasted sesame seeds, or Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice. You can also nibble on it alongside a sandwich, or grilled chicken. It’s light, refreshing, and fabulous!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Check out these awesome salad recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 4 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 5 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, adjust to taste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 teaspoon grated ginger
- 3 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup peanuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Whisk until combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the sliced cucumbers to the bowl and gently toss, until the dressing is distributed evenly. [We use a mandolin to thinly slice the cumbers.]
- Let the salad sit for at 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator, allowing the flavors to incorporate.
- Right before serving, sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds, green onions, and finely chopped peanuts. Toss to combine.
- Chill and serve!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
