Spicy Cucumber Salad
This easy Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad is the perfect balance of heat, salt, acid, and sweetness. It is crispy, refreshing, and a great snack, side dish, or garnish. And it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 52kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound mini cucumbers, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
Dressing
- 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons spicy chili oil or gochujang
- 1 Tablespoons finely chopped chives
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss the cucumber and salt. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the dressing.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, chives, garlic, ginger, sugar, and sesame seeds. Set aside.
- Rinse the cucumbers well 2-3 times to remove ALL of the salt.
- Strain the cucumber to remove any excess water.
- Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Pour the cucumber into the bowl with the dressing and toss well. Garnish with extra red chili flakes for extra heat.
Notes
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Don’t soak the cucumber for too long. They will break down and lose texture if soaked with the salt for more than 10 minutes.
- Rinse off salt. Be sure to rinse the cucumbers a few times to completely remove the salt or the salad will be way too salty. This step is very important.
- Remove water. Tossing the cucumbers with salt will help draw out excess water so that when they are tossed with the dressing the salad does not get watery. After the cucumbers are rinsed, be sure to strain them and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Add chili flakes on top. If you like a lot of spice, garnish the salad with extra red chili flakes. If you can get your hands on Korean chili flakes, use those. They can be found at most Asian grocery stores.
Nutrition
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 836mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g