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Crunchy and super refreshing, this Asian Cucumber Salad has it all. A salty, sour, and sweet peanut dressing coats fresh crunchy cucumbers with cilantro and green onion. Serve this with any grilled meat or as a side to a stir-fry or curry.
Looking for more cool side dishes? Try my Simple Carrot Salad or Frito Corn Salad next!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Peanut Butter Dressing – The dressing is easy to mix up and is the star of the salad!
- Versatile Side – This is one of those salad side dishes that you’ll eat all summer long with so many mains!
- Crunchy and Fresh – Since the salad is mainly cucumbers, it is super refreshing and has the best bite.
What you need
Ingredients
The bulk of the ingredients are used to make the peanut dressing, then the salad comes together quickly.
- Crunchy Peanut Butter – If you have a peanut allergy in the home, this can also be made with almond butter or tahini.
- Rice Vinegar
- Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice has the best flavor, but in a pinch you can use the kind in a bottle.
- Soy Sauce – I like to use lower sodium soy sauce, but you can use regular soy sauce as well. Tamari can also be subbed for the soy sauce.
- Dark Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar or honey can also be used. When measuring brown sugar, make sure to pack it in the measuring cup for an accurate measurement.
- Chili Garlic Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Freshly Grated Ginger – Fresh ginger gives the best flavor, but you can swap in ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
- Mini Cucumbers – Mini cucumbers are the best choice for cucumber salad, as there are less seeds and pulp. You could also use English cucumbers, just halve them the long way, scrape out most of the seeds from the middle and then slice them. Giant cucumbers are bitter and contain very large seeds and are not recommended for this delicate salad.
- Green Onions and Chopped Cilantro – These both add more fresh and herby flavor to the salad.
- Chopped Peanuts – To add crunch!
How To Make Asian Cucumber Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Salt Cucumbers – Put the cucumbers in a small strainer and sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon of salt. Let them sit for 5 minutes to draw out some moisture while you make the peanut dressing.
Peanut Dressing – In the bottom of a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the dressing ingredients until well combined. Whisk in a teaspoon of hot water at a time until you get the right consistency. The dressing should be just pourable and not gloppy. It’s best to add a little bit of water at a time so you don’t overdo it.
Dry Cucumbers – Very lightly press and squeeze the cucumbers and then lightly dry them with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture and salt.
Toss Salad – Place the cucumbers and remaining salad ingredients in the large bowl on top of the dressing. Toss to combine.
Serve – Right before serving, toss again and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use a Mandolin Slicer – A mandolin slicer will make quick work of slicing the cucumbers and keep the slices even.
- Salt the Cucumbers – Cucumbers are made up of mostly water, so don’t skip the salting step! This keeps the dressing from becoming too watered down and allows the cucumbers to soak in more of the dressing.
- Cuts of Cucumber – You can play around with the cuts of cucumber. Slicing them on a diagonal makes for pretty diamond shapes. Smashing the cucumbers makes for a fun prep and it is actually a way to help the dressing better adhere to the cucumber as it creates lots of crevices for the dressing to take hold.
Serving Suggestions
This Asian-inspired recipe is great alongside many different mains, especially in the warm summer months when you want a cool and refreshing side dish. Some of my favorite dishes to pair are:
Storage Tips
Storage and Make Ahead
Storage – Store leftover cucumber salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The texture of the cucumbers will become soggier and less crisp, and the dressing more watery the longer it is stored. I prefer to eat mine fresh or the next day.
Make Ahead – The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance. Just make the dressing in a small bowl, but don’t add in the hot water. Store it covered in the fridge. When ready to serve, place the made ahead dressing base into the bottom of the serving bowl and add the hot water like you would in step 2.
More Salad Recipes
Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons Crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons Rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dark brown sugar packed
- ½ -1 tablespoon Chili garlic sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons Sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Freshly grated ginger
- Hot water
Salad
- 1 pound Mini cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Green onions sliced
- 1/4 cup Roughly chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons Chopped peanuts
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Put the cucumbers in a small strainer and sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon of salt. Let them sit for 5 minutes to draw out some moisture while you make the dressing.
- In the bottom of a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the dressing ingredients until well combined. Whisk in a teaspoon of hot water at a time until you get the right consistency. The dressing should be just pourable and not gloppy. Set aside.
- Very lightly press and squeeze the cucumbers and then lightly dry them with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture and salt.
- Place the cucumbers and remaining salad ingredients in the large bowl on top of the dressing. Toss to combine.
- Right before serving, toss again and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
