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Home » Snack » Easy 5 Minute Asian Cucumber Salad

Easy 5 Minute Asian Cucumber Salad

August 7, 2021 by Geetanjali 5 Comments

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Easy 5 minute Asian cucumber salad: Sliced cucumbers are tossed in sweet, tangy, and spicy sesame dressing topped with roasted peanuts makes for a delicious side dish that everyone will love. It takes just 5 minutes to make and is vegan.

Asian cucumber salad in a white bowl

This Asian cucumber salad with sesame dressing is one of my favorite summer side dishes to make. It is incredibly easy, light, crunchy and so refreshing. Full of Asian flavors. A perfect dish to make for parties, picnics, potlucks, or even summer grilling.

Making this salad is quite straightforward. Slice the cucumber, make the dressing, toss everything together and you are good to go. 

What makes this dish so good is a tasty sesame dressing. It is packed full of flavor and a little heat from the chili flakes. You can adjust the sweet, tangy, and spicy element to your taste preference just by adjusting the amount.

More Summer Salad Recipes

  • Indian Kachumber Salad 
  • Watermelon Mango Salad
  • Mango Prawn Salad

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make Asian cucumber salad
  • Cucumber: cucumber is the main ingredient in this recipe. Use your favorite, making sure it’s thin skinned and young for the best taste. English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers are good replacements;
  • Garlic: fresh garlic, minced;
  • Rice Vinegar: rice vinegar can be substituted with apple cider vinegar. Add more for extra tanginess;
  • Sesame oil: use either regular or toasted sesame oil;
  • Soy sauce: you can use tamari instead;
  • Red chili flakes: adds a nice spicy punch, you can also sub with chopped deseeded red chili;  
  • Sugar: balances the flavor and makes the dressing even more irresistible. I used organic cane sugar. Granulated sugar or honey are nice alternatives;
  • Sesame seeds: adds that amazing Asian taste;
  • Peanuts: add a nice nuttiness and some crunch to the salad. For those who have peanut allergies, you can skip adding or use cashew nut or sunflower seeds instead;
  • Salt: sea salt to taste; 
  • Cilantro(coriander): preferably fresh.

Asian Cucumber Salad Preparations

  • Prepare cucumber: Slice the cucumbers into slightly thick rounds. You can peel the cucumbers if you prefer that way.
Making the sesame dressing for Asian cucumber salad
  • Make the dressing:  Put minced garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, cane sugar, salt, and red chili flakes in a small bowl. Whisk until sugar dissolves. 
  • Toss cucumber with dressing: Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumbers and toss to coat. Finish it off by adding chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Asian cucumber salad served in a white bowl

Variations

Like any other recipe, when making an Asian cucumber salad you can always change things up to suit your palate or use what you have available. 

Here are some that I do from time to time

  • Add veggies: carrot, red pepper, snap peas, edamame, red onion, green onion
  • substitute minced garlic with minced or ground ginger
  • Substitute cilantro with parsley or mint leaves
  • Add lime juice
  • fish sauce for a non vegan version
  • Spice it up: add chilli oil for a little extra spice

What to serve with Asian Cucumber Salad?

This salad is a light yet satisfying snack on its own. For a full dinner, you can serve this as a side to barbecue, any grilled vegetable, meat, or fish dishes. It is also a great addition to Asian dishes.

Can I make it ahead?

This salad is best served immediately. Cucumbers will turn soft, once everything is mixed. To keep the cucumbers fresh and crisp, I would suggest keeping the cucumber slices and dressing separate until ready to serve.

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Asian Cucumber Salad
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Easy 5 Minute Asian Cucumber Salad

Sliced cucumbers are tossed in sesame dressing topped with roasted peanuts. It takes just 5 minutes to make. Light, refreshing, and vegan!
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Asian Cucumber Salad, Easy 5 minute Asian cucumber salad
Servings2 people
Author Geetanjali

INGREDIENTS ( 1 CUP = 240 ML )

  • 3 medium-sized cucumbers young, thin-skinned
  • 1 teaspoon tossed sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoon roasted peanuts crushed
  • 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro (coriander) finely chopped

For Dressing

  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon cane sugar or sugar
  • ⅓ teaspoon red chili flakes or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Prepare cucumber: Slice the cucumbers into slightly thick rounds. You can peel the cucumbers if you prefer.
  • Make the dressing: Put minced garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, cane sugar, salt, and red chili flakes in a small bowl. Whisk until sugar dissolves.
  • Toss cucumber with dressing: Pour the dressing over the cucumber slices and toss to coat. Finish it off by adding chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Snack, Starter

Previous Post: « South Indian Bread Upma
Next Post: Cheese Ramen | How to make Cheese Ramen »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda Dixon

    September 29, 2021 at 10:08 pm

    This is such a great salad! The dressing was so flavorful, and I loved the crunch the peanuts added.

    Reply
  2. Jeri

    September 30, 2021 at 4:39 am

    This was a delicious cucumber salad, it went perfectly with the salmon I made. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Jessica l Tao of Spice

    September 30, 2021 at 7:15 pm

    This salad is made up of a lot of my favorite flavors, is simple to throw together, and healthy. Sounds like a winner to me! I plan on pairing it with my favorite mushroom dumplings and miso soup for dinner this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  4. Natalie

    September 30, 2021 at 10:25 pm

    I have all the ingredients at home. I will make this salad tonight for dinner. Do you think I can substitute raw garlic for garlic powder?

    Reply
  5. Lindsay Howerton-Hastings

    September 30, 2021 at 11:56 pm

    These are so refreshing and yummy with a heavier main dish! We love these.

    Reply

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