Enjoy this light and delicious Asian Cucumber Salad. It's a bright, fresh addition to any meal. Thinly sliced cucumbers are tossed with sesame seeds, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar and a touch of heat.

Variations on how to cut this Easy Asian cucumber salad
You can have fun experimenting with different shapes in this crunchy Asian cucumber salad for a fun presentation. Here are some suggestions.
- Use a julienne peeler to make long strips of cucumber.
- Use a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles.
- Use a mandolin slicer to cut the cucumbers super thin.
- Use a vegetable peeler to create long cucumber slices
Ingredients for our Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Persian Cucumbers. You can also use a large seedless English cucumber or a Japanese cucumber.
- Rice Vinegar. is a smoother less acidic vinegar, feel free to use apple cider vinegar if its what you have .
- Toasted Sesame Oil. This essential Asian cooking ingredient I keep in my pantry at all times, it adds a nice nutty flavor to dishes. A little oil is enough to flavor your dishes.
- Agave Syrup. It adds just a touch of sweetness. You may substitute maple syrup or honey.
- Soy Sauce. Use tamari instead if you are gluten-free.
- Grated Fresh Ginger. If you can't buy it fresh, you can buy the frozen cubes of minced ginger instead.
- Sriracha. This dictates the heat, so adjust according to your preference.
- Garlic Chili Paste. It also adds heat so use it to taste.
- Sesame Seeds. Use white sesame, black or toasted sesame seeds instead, or consider a combination of two or three.
How to Make Asian Cucumber Salad
To make this salad recipe, begin by cutting the cucumbers into slices. In a Japanese Cucumber Salad the cucumbers are cut in half length-wise and sliced half moons instead.
You do not need to peel the cucumber but you can if you prefer. In a small bowl which the dressing ingredients, and toss it all together in a large bowl. Keep the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
What are the different types of Cucumbers?
Here are some cucumber varieties we know about.
- Persian cucumbers: they are small with smooth skin and very tiny seeds and there's no need to peel them.
- English Cucumber also called seedless cucumber is a long cucumber with vertical slightly bumpy vertical lines on its skin. It is usually found wrapped in plastic in the markets in the US. The skin is edible.
- Japanese cucumbers also called Kyuri to look like English cucumbers, but with bumpier skin with. Skin is edible.
- Slicing cucumber, the most commonly found cucumber in the market has large seeds and a thick dark green skin. The skin is waxed and too thick to eat. The slicing cucumber must be peeled before eating.
- Kirby cucumber is a smaller cucumber, fatter than Persian cucumbers a lighter bumpier skin and large seeds. It is also called pickling cucumber. We prefer to peel Kirby cucumbers we find the skin a little thick.
- Armenian cucumbers are long and curvy like a snake. There's skin is pale green and thin. There's no need to peel these Armenian cucumbers.
Tips for the Best Asian Cucumber Salad
- Start with fresh, refrigerated cucumbers for a cold salad at the finish.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cucumbers.
- Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes to let the flavors of the dressing meld. Toss before serving.
- Do not freeze this salad. Cucumbers become soft and mushy in the freezer.
- Slice the cucumbers ahead of time if you will be rushing to finish dinner on the night you want to serve this salad.
- The dressing can be made a few days ahead.
- Cucumbers can be sliced up to two days before you make the salad and kept in a plastic food storage bag or an airtight container until you are ready to mix the dressing.
Variations on our Easy Asian Cucumber Salad
- If you aren't fan of sriracha, use red pepper flakes to adjust the heat.
- Chop fresh cilantro or other fresh herbs for a nice twist in flavor.
- Sprinkle the salad with roasted peanuts instead of sesame seeds.
- Add small diced red onion or scallions (green onion).
FAQ
Do you need to peel cucumbers?
No. The skin of the cucumber is edible, but we prefer to peel some varieties like the slicing cucumber because it often comes waxed and the skin is thick, Kirby cucumbers also have a thick skin which we also prefer to peel.
Are cucumber salads healthy?
Yes. Cucumbers contain vitamin C and B, cooper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.The dish is also low in calories and low carb. Just be mindful of the dressing you use, so you can keep it healthy.
What to Serve with Asian Cucumber Salad
Try one of these recipes: Asian-Inspired Sesame Crusted Tofu Veggie Sandwich, Coconut Miso Ramen, or Sweet Potato Noodles Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce. The Asian cucumber salad makes a perfect side dish for any Asian Inspired dishes and also pairs well with
More Cucumber Recipes You May Like
- Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Cucumber-Melon-Lemon Popsicles
- Savory Carrot Ginger Granita With Tangy Cucumber Topping
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
Asian Cucumber Salad
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Enjoy this light and delicious Asian Cucumber Salad. It's a bright, fresh addition to any meal. Thinly sliced cucumbers are tossed with sesame seeds, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and a touch of heat.
Ingredients
- 5 Persian cucumber or 1 large seedless English cucumber
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp agave syrup, you may use maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari if gluten-free
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger ( about 1 ½" piece)
- ½ tsp sriracha, add more or less to taste and to control the heat level
- ¾ tsp garlic chili paste
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, or a combination of the two
Instructions
- Cut the cucumbers into thin slices and place them in a large bowl
- To prepare the dressing mix the remaining ingredients (except for the sesame seeds) in a jar with a tight lid. Shake well until well combined. Alternatively, you can whisk all the dressing ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
- Add dressing and sesame seeds to the cucumbers, toss and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
- Salad Variations:
- Use red pepper flakes to control the heat if you are not a fan of sriracha.
- Chop fresh cilantro or other fresh herbs for a nice twist in flavor.
- Sprinkle the salad with roasted peanuts instead of sesame seeds.
- Add small diced red onion or scallions (green onion).
This post was originally published on July 24, 2015
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 4.9
- Sodium: 684
- Fat: 6.5
- Saturated Fat: 0.9
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 7.9
- Fiber: 0.8
- Protein: 1.4
- Cholesterol: 0
Dina
... Hi Vicky & Ruth, sorry i'm not going to comment on the recipe, but on the write up, i laughed & laughed & laughed, enjoyed it thoroughly, may your days always be filled with sun shine, & now i shall have a look at that recipe :), God Bless ...
Vicky & Ruth
Glad we can make you laugh!
Dina
... That star was pressed by mistake, i never rate less than 5 :), God Bless ...
The Steaming Pot
Great point about 'pretending' - that's the basis of books like 'The Secret', isn't it 🙂 Also read somewhere that if one is trying to lose weight, it helps to pretend that one is thin already!
The 'noodles' look so pretty 🙂