ASIAN CUCUMBER SALAD

This Asian cucumber salad is healthy, refreshing and so delicious! Made with just cucumbers and a light, invigorating dressing of rice vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil, this one packs some punchy Asian flavours in there! Plus, it requires minimal chopping and comes together in minutes! Can’t get better than that, right!?

Love Salads? Try my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Thai Prawn Mango Salad and Smoked Baingan Salad!

I am a big salad girl! Especially during the hot summer months. The temperatures are through the roof, and most foods usually just feel dry and lumpy at the back of my throat. This is when salads have come to my rescue more times than I can count. And no, I am not talking about your usual green salad made with a random assortment of veggies, I mean like a real salad with fresh ingredients, a tangy dressing of delicious Asian flavours, and tonnes of texture! And guess what? It’s a healthy recipe too!

If this sounds like something that’s up your alley too, then this Asian Cucumber Salad might just become your new go-to summer side dish! It’s crunchy, zesty, and so light and refreshing! Cucumbers are the perfect summer superfoods and pack in so much crunch and freshness. While the simple Asian dressing for this salad is made with our homemade chilli oil, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Not only is it simple enough to whip up, but it’s also rejuvenating and full of flavour! I have made this one a few times already this summer, and trust me, the bowl got wiped clean each time. You’ve got to try this one!

A summer salad that’s bursting with flavour and makes for a great side dish
If you have all the ingredients at home, you can put this dish together in minutes.
A vegan and vegetarian salad that can easily made gluten free by replacing soy sauce with tamari

Ingredients You'll Need to make Asian Cucumber Salad

Cucumber: I have used Persian cucumbers for this as they are firmer on the inside and have lesser seeds than white cucumbers. But feel free to replace them with english cucumbers.
For dressing:
- Chilli oil: This is a literal game changer and adds so much flavour and heat to the salad. I have used my homemade chilli oil for this recipe, but you can easily use a store-bought one as well.
- Toasted sesame oil: Adds a beautiful nuttiness that pairs really well with cucumbers and is authentic to Asian cuisine.
- Rice vinegar: Delivers a dash of tanginess that alleviates the whole dish!
- Soy sauce: Add so much umami and flavour; another ingredient that’s a total must-have to achieve those authentic Asian flavours.
- Sugar: Just a pinch to balance out the flavours of rice vinegar and soy sauce.
- Garlic: Freshly grated garlic adds a tonne of flavour and takes this salad a notch higher! Even though this one’s optional, I highly recommend adding it.
- Salt: Since soy sauce already is pretty salty, be very careful while adding salt. Start with adding just a little bit, taste and add more if needed. I used just ⅛th of a teaspoon as ¼th also felt a bit too salty. You can also skip salt entirely if you like.

Richa’s top tips to make the best Asian cucumber salad

Once you’ve mixed all the dressing and the cucumber together, don’t forget to pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Not only does this salad taste a whole lot better when cold, but refrigerating it will ensure that the cucumbers have had the chance to soak up all the dressing, making it even more flavourful when served.
Since the dressing is so simple, you can easily make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Simply toss it in with your cucumbers and serve!

This is such a perfect salad to make when you have guests over, as it literally takes minutes to put together! I have served this one with my chilli garlic fried rice, veg spring rolls, as well as Chinese chilli chicken dry, and it has been a total hit each time!

LOVE THIS RECIPE? Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to receive all new recipes!