Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian Dressing
This salad is a common way to prepare cucumbers in Chinese cuisine. It’s got a lot of raw garlic (Beijingers are especially fond of strong garlic flavors) and soy. Serve as a salad or a side dish.
Servings: 4
Calories: 49kcal
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large cucumbers
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cilantro (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted, optional)
Instructions
- Peel or scrub the cucumbers (whichever you prefer) and cut them into 2 to 3 inch sticks. Put them into a large mixing bowl.
- Stir the rest of the ingredients (except the sesame seeds) in a small bowl to make the dressing.
- Drain any water that may have seeped out of the cucumbers and toss in the dressing. Once the cucumbers are coated, garnish with sesame seeds (if using) and serve immediately.
- When I made this today it was about 97 degrees outside, and I chilled the cucumbers for about 15 minutes in the fridge before tossing them together. I served the salad with a mildly sweet plum wine we bought while in Chengdu. The dish is light, cooling, and tasty!
Notes
Minimizing the time between tossing and serving the dish is important. If you let it sit too long, the cucumbers will release water, causing a whole lot of soggy liquid in your salad. If you want to make it ahead, toss the cucumbers in a bowl with ½ teaspoon of salt, cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. This will release much of the cucumber’s water content. Then just drain the cucumbers and toss with the dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg