Thai Cucumber & Cellophane Noodle Salad
This is fresh, fabulous, and flavorful salad! Perfect on hot days or whenever you’re in the mood for something lighter and more refreshing, this Thai Cucumber & Cellophane Noodle Salad really delivers!
This Thai Cucumber & Cellophane Noodle Salad is gorgeous, and it’s crazy flavorful. You can really taste the flavors in it, with the peanut butter, garlic, and soy sauce perfectly balanced with rice vinegar and sesame oil. It’s the perfect Asian cucumber salad, and with the addition of cellophane noodles, it’s hearty enough to be a main dish.
Thai Cucumber & Cellophane Noodle Salad
You can serve this salad chilled or warm. Personally, I love it both ways! It’s great on its own as a meal, but it pairs so nicely with grilled shrimp or chicken.
Cook the noodles ahead of time, and prepare the sauce up to a few hours ahead that way all you need to do to make the salad is prep the cucumber, toss, and serve!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s fresh, flavorful, and fabulous!
- It pairs so nicely with other Asian dishes or even simply grilled meats and seafood.
- This is such a pretty salad – it always gets compliments!
- Our daughter-in-law from China made this for us – delish!
Gather these ingredients for Thai Cucumber & Cellophane Noodle Salad
- English cucumbers
- Cellophane noodles – Also called glass noodles.
- Fresh cilantro
- Garlic – Fresh cloves; very finely minced.
- Peanut butter – Chunky works best.
- Soy sauce – Regular light soy sauce.
- Premium soy sauce – Also called dark soy sauce.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar.
- Rice vinegar – Unseasoned rice vinegar.
- Sesame oil
- Roasted peanuts – Optional garnish.
What are English cucumbers?
You’ve probably seen these cucumbers in the grocery store. They are long, slender cucumbers that are often individually wrapped in plastic. The unique thing about these cucumbers is that the skin is edible – don’t peel them before julienning them – and they have very few seeds.
How to make Thai Cucumber Salad with Cellophane Noodles
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- Julienne the cucumbers – see my notes below. Put the cucumbers in a large strainer and set them aside to drain for 5 minutes. Then press the liquid out of the cucumbers.
- Boil the cellophane noodles in salted water for 1 minute until they are soft. Drain and cool them under cold running water, and set them aside.
- Mix the peanut butter with a few teaspoons of warm water in a small bowl, to make it runnier. Add the garlic, soy sauces, sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir well to combine.
- Add the drained and pressed cucumber, cooled noodles, and cilantro to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Drizzle the dressing over the top and stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts and cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to julienne cucumbers
Julienned cucumbers are long, thin strands of cucumber, and there are a few tricks to cutting them this way. The first is to use an OXO mandoline slicer with the julienne 4.5 mm size. You can also cut the cucumber into very thin plans, then cut the planks into long thin strips. Alternatively, you can get hand-held julienne slicers that look much like vegetable peelers. These gadgets make short work of julienning cucumbers.
Tips & substitutions
- Dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce are not the same. Dark soy sauce is made from the first batches after the fermentation process so it is stronger in flavor and has a sweet undertone.
- Don’t overcook the noodles! Glass noodles cook in about a minute.
- Cut the noodles in half after cooking to make them easier to eat.
- Mix the sauce ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to blend well.
Serving suggestions
With Asian flavors and ingredients, this Thai cucumber salad recipe pairs really well with grilled tri tip, Sesame Chili Grilled Salmon, and simple grilled chicken thighs. You can pair it with your favorite Asian dishes too, like tuna with toasted sesame or braised beef.
Storage
Leftover Thai Cucumber Salad with Glass Noodles will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. After that, the acidity in the dressing will start to break down the other ingredients.
Check out these awesome salad recipes while you’re here
- Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad
- Summer Squash Salad
- Herbed Quinoa Veggie Salad
- Pad Thai Salad (Cafe Style)
- Pesto Orzo Salad
Get the Recipe:
Thai Cucumber & Cellophane Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 3 large English cucumbers, shredded
- 2-3 8 oz bundles cellophane noodles
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, divided
- ¾ cup peanuts
Dressing:
- 4-6 cloves pressed garlic
- 2 Tbsp chunky peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp premium soy sauce, dark
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Shred cucumbers with OXO mandolin slicer (use the julienne 4.5). Put in a large strainer and allow to sit for 5 minutes, pressing the liquid out of the cucumbers.
- Cook the cellophane noodles: Boil water to a boil (add 1 tsp salt), and boil the glass noodles for 1 minute, until they are soft. Drain and cool and set aside. Optional to cut the noodles (easier to eat), rather than leave them long.
- In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter with a tiny bit of warm water, to make liquid form. Add the garlic, soy sauces, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil. Stir until combined.
- In a large bowl, place the drained cucumber, cooled (cut) glass noodles, and ¾ cup cilantro leaves. Drizzle the dressing over the top; gently mix to combine.
- Garnish with finely chopped peanuts and remaining cilantro.
- 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...
Hello! This recipe looks delicious and I want to make it for an upcoming gathering. Can you please tell me which brand of noodles you used? I can’t find cellophane/glass noodles.
You can use Thai Kitchen brand or you can find them in most grocery stores in the Asian aisle.