This Smashed Asian cucumber salad recipe is one of our most popular recipes for a reason! It’s light, refreshing and easy to make in just 10 minutes. It’s also packed with flavor from a zingy dressing, garlic, and cilantro.
Note: This recipe was originally published in June 2015. We’ve since updated it with higher resolution images, clearer instructions, a YouTube video showing how to make it, and metric measurements. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
The Benefits of Cucumber
In our family, Iβm the resident whacky Chinese medicine enthusiast. I drink the elixirs (check out Sarahβs experience from way back when here), do acupuncture, read the most books, and enjoy the healing powers of a good Chinese foot massage.
So Iβll start this recipe by saying, everyone knows that cucumber salad is a great summer dish. But do you know about its health benefits?
According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), cucumber cleanses and detoxifies, it helps reduce high blood pressure, and, with its βcoolingβ element, also eases the internal heat of the body. In short, eat plenty of cucumber when it’s in season!
In the U.S., you might find a Greek salad, a dill pickle here and there, and perhaps a pitcher of cucumber water.
But people in China take eating cucumbers to a whole new level. For example, we Americans would probably enjoy an ice cream cone (or gnaw on a turkey leg if you’re at Disney World) when visiting a park or a zoo.
But in China, you can see people crunching on cucumbers as they walk around, ride the train, or take a rest on the Great Wall. Itβs an everywhere, anytime snack. Fruit peddlers peel them for you and they’re only RMB 1.00 (15 cents at the time of this writing) a piece. A bargain!
This Asian cucumber salad is also a popular appetizer/cold dish (εθ) on most restaurant menus. Not only is it so easy to whip up, itβs crunchy, crispy, and healthy. We make this on a weekly basis when we have cucumbers in the garden, because itβs so simple and refreshing!
The Smashing Technique
The key to this salad is to smash the cucumbers with a heavy cleaver (or rolling pin). This method creates lots of jagged edges for the tasty dressing to cling to. This method is common in China!
Since we first published this recipe over 10 years ago, this smashing method has spread across the English-speaking internet as well. It really does create a nice texture.
Smashing and opening up the cucumbers also means that they will release a lot of water once you add the dressing (the salt in the dressing draws out liquid). So make sure you dress the salad right before serving! Don’t let it sit around too long, or the dressing will start to dilute.
Asian Cucumber Salad: Recipe Instructions
Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections.
Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it on a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces.
NOTE!
See Kaitlin’s recipe for homemade chili oil, which is what we always use when we make Cucumber Salad. If you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up a tablespoon of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. Seems weird, but in Chinese cooking, uncooked vs. cooked oil have different flavors and are treated as such!
In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil (or cooked plain oil), and toss it well. Serve, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.
Watch: Cucumber Salad Tips!
To stay healthy and keep cool this summer, check out some of our other delicious salads.
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Recipe
Smashed Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 pounds seedless cucumbers (about 2 English cucumbers)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2-4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1-2 teaspoons chili oil (optional)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside.
- On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil. Toss it well. Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro. (Note: if you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up a tablespoon of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. Seems weird, but in Chinese cooking, uncooked vs. cooked oil have different flavors and are treated as such!)
