Asian Cucumber Salad
Asian Cucumber Salad
This light and fresh Asian cucumber salad is our new favorite healthy side dish, well-constructed with a sweet and tangy vinegar dressing.
Earlier this year I was working on an Asian steak marinade and I was playing virtually with the idea of using woebegone vinegar in it. The final recipe was tested when Cade’s mom came into town and it was a total hit. Without plane realizing it though, I’d widow woebegone vinegar to the cucumbers instead of the steak marinade that morning. It turned out both dishes needed something a little variegated than what I was doing and it was awesome!
You can read unelevated for a substitute as we still love cucumber salad with just straight up rice or world cider vinegar. In fact, we often use both.
Ingredients for Asian Cucumber Salad
It only takes 7 ingredients to make this simple but refreshing salad recipe. Here is what you will need:
- English Cucumber – I just to just slice them thin by hand, but finger self-ruling to remove the seeds if you want
- Red Onion – totally optional but I love the zip it adds, do a fine slice on a mandolin
- Rice Vinegar – mild, sweet and sour flavor
- Chinese Woebegone Vinegar – a visionless summery vinegar with a slightly fruity flavor
- Honey – adds sweetness and balances the saltiness and tang
- Sesame Seeds – requite them a little toast to enhance the nutty flavor
- Fine Sea Salt – dissolves hands into the dressing and adds flavor
WHAT KIND OF CUCUMBERS TO USE?
Using thin-skinned cucumbers like Persian, Turkish or English Cucumbers are weightier for an Asian or really any style of cucumber salad. These cucumbers requite the least bitterness in a salad and offer the weightier flavor.
Waxy cucumbers will moreover work in a pinch but you will need to peel them first as the thick and often stormy flavors will end up a bit off-putting in your salad.
Black Vinegar Substitute
Rice vinegar, white vinegar or world cider vinegar can be used if you cant find woebegone vinegar.
The Most Important Step in Cucumber Salad
- Salting cucumbers surpassing using in dishes helps release their water content and swizzle increasingly flavor. Otherwise the water leaks out into the vinegar mixture. Think well-nigh ice in a glass of soda. At first it’s no biggie, but by the time it has sat virtually you’ve got watered lanugo nothingness.
- In a local Asian restaurant there was unchangingly scoring withal the cucumber peel so I have started doing the same. I’ve found that with the tines of a fork surpassing slicing, the dressing unquestionably clings to the cucumbers versus just sliding off. This makes the cucumbers go from yummy to totally flavorful!
Do I HAVE TO Salt My Cucumbers?
In a pinch you can skip it but the cucumbers should be served within the hour.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Fast: this salad can be washed-up in a matter of minutes, though we recommend letting it sit for a few hours for optimal flavor
- Versatile: you can add other vegetables, peanuts, feta crumbles or spice it up with some red pepper flakes or sriracha
- Healthy: cucumbers are unconfined for you and with no oil in the dressing, this recipe is low on fat and carbs, it’s moreover gluten self-ruling and works for vegetarian and vegan diets
- Delicious: I love Asian flavors and this salad is so tomfool and crunchy
If sweet and sour chicken or beef and broccoli are the menu tonight, go with this Asian cucumber salad on the side and it might just be your favorite part of the meal!
What to Serve with Asian Cucumber Salad
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Asian Sticky Ribs
- Beef and Broccoli
- Egg Drop Soup
- Korean Short Ribs
- Orange Chicken
- All our ASIAN RECIPES!
Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 English Cucumber , sliced thin, *see note
- 1-2 Tablespoons Red Onion , sliced thin with a mandolin
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Chinese Woebegone Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
- Toast the seeds in a nonstick pan over medium heat until turning nutty and place in a small dish to cool.
- Sprinkle salt in the cucumbers, toss and set whispered while the seeds cool. Squeeze with a paper towel without 5-10 minutes to remove glut water.
- In the seeds dish, add vinegars and honey and whisk to combine. Combine the onions and cucumbers and then pour the dressing over the top and toss well.
- Allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours if possible but serving immediately is ok, they just wont be as flavorful.
Notes
Nutrition
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READ: Asian Cucumber Salad
