This recipe for stir-fried cucumbers with bean threads and wood ears is a tasty Chinese vegetarian dish that you can serve as part of a larger meal, or as a meal in and of itself with a side of steamed rice. It’s all about texture—crunchy, chewy, crispy—all mixed together!
Have Lots of Cucumbers?
In our experience, cucumbers are one of the easiest summer crops to grow. We grow it every year! But at a certain point every summer, it seems like we’re swimming in cucumbers that we don’t know what to do with.
By that time, we’ve used them in salads galore, sliced them up as snacks, and otherwise eaten them raw in every possible way.
But while it’s common to eat cucumbers raw (some people just eat cucumbers like an apple as a snack!) in China, it’s also very common to eat them cooked!
Cucumbers feature prominently in stir-fries like Moo Shu Pork (the Chinese version, rather than the Americanized version with mandarin pancakes). And they taste delicious cooked.
It’s a great way to use a big crop of summer cucumbers without having to resort to the same old salad.
This recipe is as an easy, tasty way to try cooked cucumbers if you haven’t already!
What Are Bean Threads and Wood Ears?
The two other main ingredients in this recipe, bean threads, and wood ears, may be unfamiliar. Let’s talk about them quickly!
Bean threads, also known as dried bean curd sticks or yuba (the Japanese version), are basically the skin that forms on top of cooked soy milk. This top layer is pulled off the soy milk, rolled into sticks, and dried.
Wood ear mushrooms are a type of fungi that do indeed grow on wood and look kind of like ears! They have a curiously crunchy texture, and have lots of nooks and crannies for sauce to cling to.
You can find both these ingredients in Chinese grocery stores in the dry goods aisles!
Note!
Seedless cucumbers are ideal for this recipe, but if your cucumbers do have seeds, simply slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before slicing.
Recipe Instructions
Cut the bean threads into 2-inch pieces.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the reconstituted bean threads and wood ears, and blanch for 90 seconds. Drain and set aside.
Heat a wok over medium heat, and add the oil, along with the spicy bean sauce, ginger slices, and the white parts of the scallions.
Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the oil turns red and the aromatics are fragrant. Add the garlic, and cook for another 15 seconds.
Increase the heat to high, and add the blanched bean threads and wood ears. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the cucumbers. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Then add the water and cornstarch mixture.
Continue stir-frying until the sauce coats the vegetables. Stir in the green parts of the scallions.
Once wilted, remove from the wok to a serving plate.
Serve immediately!
Stir-fried Cucumbers with Wood Ears and Bean Threads
Ingredients
- 3 ounces dried bean threads (AKA yuba) (soaked for 2 hours in warm water until reconstituted – about 2 cups after rehydrating)
- 0.5 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms (soaked for 2 hours until reconstituted and rinsed of any sand/grit, about 1 ½ cups after rehydrating)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon spicy bean sauce
- 2 slices ginger
- 2 scallions (cut into 2-inch lengths, white and green parts separated)
- 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 large seedless cucumber (about 1 pound/450g, sliced in half lengthwise and then thinly sliced on a diagonal)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (dissolved into 3 tablespoons water)
Instructions
- Cut the bean threads into 2-inch pieces.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the reconstituted bean threads and wood ears, and blanch for 90 seconds. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a wok over medium heat, and add the oil, along with the spicy bean sauce, ginger slices, and the white parts of the scallions.
- Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the oil turns red and the aromatics are fragrant. Add the garlic, and cook for another 15 seconds.
- Increase the heat to high, and add the blanched bean threads and wood ears. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the cucumbers. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Then add the water and cornstarch mixture. Continue stir-frying until the sauce coats the vegetables. Stir in the green parts of the scallions. Once wilted, remove from the wok to a serving plate.
I’ve just got to try this for myself
Hope you enjoy it, Deborah!
We just finished eating this yummy meal! My hubby was so impressed with how delicious and crispy the cooked cucumbers were. I added one small white onion because i’m a fool for onions but pretty much stuck to the recipe. In the blink of an eye my gang gobbled it up! I also loved, loved and loved some more the bean threads. They had such a satisfying texture and absorbed so many flavors as well as having their own delicious taste…a very lovely to look at and satisfying meal! Thank you so much!
So so happy you enjoyed this one, Nanette! Cooked cucumbers are indeed a bit of a revelation!
I love Bean Curd and Wood Ear and had extra Cucumber from the garden.
I was so happy to find your recipe.
These main ingredients have nice distinct flavours, but I found that the sauce accompaniments were not salty enough. 1t. starch with 3T. of water did not thicken very well either.
I am still very happy with your creation and will be adding a bit more Oyster Sauce before serving. ;-)
Thank you for your feedback, Anna!
This is delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe and the rest of the wonderful recipes on this site. :-)
I don’t know if it’s worth mentioning, but it’s only a vegetarian or vegan dish if it uses the Vegetarian ‘oyster’ sauce – otherwise it’s only suitable for omnivores/pescetarians.
I’ve had someone serve me something with chicken broth because they didn’t think chicken counted as meat before, so definitely best to make the distinction!
Yes, that is true! That’s why I specify vegetarian oyster sauce as a key option!.
Ich liebe das Rezept, vielen dank!
Viele Grüße sendet,
Jesse-Gabriel aus Berlin
Dein Blog ist großartig!
I love the recipe, thank you very much!
Sends greetings,
Jesse-Gabriel from Berlin
Your blog is great!
Thank you Jesse-Gabriel!
This is an easy and quick meal to make. The outcome is delicious, especially paired with a bowl of warm rice. Yummy. Thanks Sarah!
You’re welcome, Nancy!
Hi Sarah I think you have mislabeled this bean curd (foo jook) as I was looking for the transparent thin noodles (bean threads) in your dish. This dish looks tasty!
Hi Kathy, we have seen foo jook labeled often as “bean threads” which is why I used it here. You’re right though that “bean threads” can also be a translation used for mung bean noodles. Inconsistent English translations by different Chinese brands can make things confusing, but we do our best to help others know what to look for!
Where do you get bean threads? Are they packaged and found in the frozen section of foods?
In the San Francisco area, they’re commonly labeled as bean curd sticks found in the dry goods section of the store. I’ve never seen them frozen.
Hi Meera, they are in transparent plastic packaging in the dry goods section.
I did find frozen bean curd sticks, it came in a package of long sticks which was more expensive, there is another brand where it comes in short sticks.
you can order them on line…that is what I did!
I love this recipe! So simple, so delicious. A great way to use all those cucumbers!
Thanks so much David!