Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Description: Recipe video above. If you love cucumbers, or even if you don't, you have to try this Asian cucumber salad recipe! Smashing is a classic Asian technique, it creates crevices for the chunky chilli dressing to nestle in. The perfect combination of refreshing and firecracker heat. OBSESSED!Spice level - Decent warm buzz but not blow-your-head-off if you are using my go-to chilli crisp, the Laoganma Crispy Chilli Oil. Note 3.Scared of the chilli? Make Smashed Cucumbers with ginger sauce instead!
Ingredients
- 4 cucumbers (~20cm/8", scale up/down for shorter/longer, Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 eschalot/French onion (, halved then very thinly sliced (US: shallot) (Note 2)
- 1 cup green onion (, green part only finely sliced (1 large, 2 small stems)
- 2 tbsp+ chilli crisp (crispy chilli oil) - Laoganma is my fave (Note 3)
- 2 tsp white seame seeds (, toasted (save some for topping)
- 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (sub any clear vinegar)
- 2 tsp soy sauce (, all-purpose or light (Note 4)
- 2 tsp sesame oil (, toasted (ie brown, not yellow)
Instructions
- Smash & salt cucumbers
- Smash - Hit cucumbers with a meat mallet, rolling pin or similar to make the sides burst open. Cut in half lengthwise then into 2.5cm/1" pieces.
- Salt 30 min - Place in a bowl, toss with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to draw out water (Note 5). Drain/strain and discard salty water, leave cucumbers in same bowl.
- Salad
- Whisk Dressing in a bowl.
- CHECK spiciness of your chilli crisp - they vary by brand. If using Laoganma, stick with recipe, else adjust to taste.
- Toss - Put green onion, eschalots, sesame seeds, dressing and chilli crisp in with the cucumbers. Toss until eschalots go floppy - ~30 seconds.
- Serve, sprinkled with extra sesame seeds and dollops of chilli crisp if you dare!
- Note: Water continues to come out of cucumbers so after few hours/next day, you'll have a lot more dressing but not as intense flavoured. So eat/serve with spoon to get plenty of dressing in every bite!