Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad Recipe
Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad with the delicious vinaigrette dressing is an easy side dish perfect for summer and healthy and tasty!
Ingredients
Cucumbers
- 400 gram Persian, Japanese, or English cucumbers
- 1 tsp Coarse Salt
- 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds For garnishing
For the dressing:
- 0.5 oz Garlic Clove Grated
- 1.5 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil Hot
- ½ tsp Honey optional
- Garlic Chilli Oil optional
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the cucumbers. Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Use a small teaspoon to scoop out the seeds.
- Roughly chop the cucumbers in diagonal shape, about 1.5 inches in length. They don’t need to be in a uniform shape.
- Place the cucumbers in a large ziplock bag. Seal the bag and lightly smash them with a flat-bottom bottle or meat pounder. The skin will begin to crack.
- Transfer the cucumbers to a large bowl and sprinkle in the salt. Use your hands and gently rub it all over the cucumber. Let rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- After 30 minutes, you’ll notice excess water sitting at the bottom of the bowl that can be discarded. There’s no need to rinse the cucumbers.
- Transfer the cucumbers into a serving bowl, and add the garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey, if using. Toss and combine well.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds as a final garnish
- Chill the dish in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavor to come through. Drizzle with a few teaspoons of garlic chili oil, if using. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Try not to smash them too hard or they will become mushy.
- Removing the cucumber seeds will make the dish less watery and not dilute the sauce further.
- You can even sprinkle finely chopped scallions for garnish as well with sesame seeds.