This Smashed Asian cucumber salad recipe is light, refreshing and perfect for the summer. It’s also packed with flavor from a zingy dressing, garlic, and cilantro. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Note: This recipe was originally published in June 2015. We’ve since updated it with higher resolution images, clearer instructions, additional thoughts, and metric measurements. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
The Benefits of Cucumber
In our family, I’m the resident whacky Chinese medicine enthusiast. I drink the elixirs (check out Sarah’s experience from way back when here), do acupunture, read the most books, and enjoy the healing powers of a good Chinese foot massage.
So I’ll 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 “cooling” 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. It’s an everywhere, anytime snack. Fruit peddlers peel them for you and they’re only RMB 1.00 (16 cents) a piece. A bargain!
This Asian cucumber salad is also a popular appetizer/cold dish (凉菜) on most restaurant menus. Not only is it so easy to whip up, it’s crunchy, crispy, and healthy. We make this on a weekly basis when we have cucumbers in the garden, because it’s so simple and refreshing!
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 at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces.
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!
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.
To stay healthy and keep cool this summer, check out some of our other delicious salads.
Smashed Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 seedless cucumbers (about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs; 600g)
- 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
- a small handful of 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!)
This was so easy, delicious and fresh! We served it with your three cup chicken and rice – an amazing meal!
Good eats :-)
Delicious refreshing cucumber salad! I will make this again and again!!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie.
Don’t know where to get Persian cucumbers from, can I use ordinary cucumbers that are sold in the UK supermarkets?
Yes, you can.
Just out of curiosity why not just slice the cucumbers especially if they are the Persian variety?
Smashing them creates awesome nooks, and crannies, for the dressing to soak into the cucumber flesh.
I used small Persian cucumbers, and they were perfect for this recipe…and yes, I smashed them.
Thanks for the easy recipe! What protein dish do you think the cucumber salad would pair well with?
Hi Seri, you can pair it with any Chinese protein dish that we have, especially good with spicy recipes :-)
We grow our own Alpha Beit (small Persian cucumbers, looks like your picture), so I love this recipe!! Can’t wait for your cookbook!
Thank you for your love and support, Kerrie :-)
We get a weekly vegetable box from our local Japanese run farm. Lately there’s been a lot of Japanese cucumbers added. This recipe was timely. I only used a pinch of salt and one teaspoon of sugar. I also added the soybeans that came in our veggie box. The whole dish was delicious. My husband definitely wants me to make this again if we get more cukes.
That’s wonderful. You did good, Marilyn.
So yummy!!
Yayy!
I have been making this from a similar recipe from Eric Kim; it is always really good. I like the Persian cucumbers best for this. Your method of smashing is better! Mine come out messier of course but I’m not making it for paying customers.
There is nothing wrong with the messiness, it’s the taste that matters ;-)