This Chinese Cucumber Salad is super refreshing and perfect when it’s warm out! We make this as a side dish often, and the garlicky goodness and spicy kick to it is so delicious!

How to make Chinese cucumber salad?

At a high level, there’s really 3 main steps!

We are first going to prepare all our ingredients. Especially the cucumbers. The cucumbers will be going through some cucumber skin removal and also… Smashing! I describe this more below.

Then the next thing we would want to do is prepare the chopped scallions – heating it up in some hot oil will help bring out the flavor.

Afterwards – it’s really all about mixing it up just right!

Why smash the cucumbers?

Smashing the cucumbers is an Asian cooking technique. This preparation will cause the cucumbers to bust open which does a couple of things 1) it remove excess cucumber juice to come out that will make the cucumbers more crunch and 2) it also allows all the delicious sauces to cover more parts of the cucumber and be sucked in to the cucumber making it more flavorful.

Also, personally – another reason I do it? Because it’s fun! 😀

Chinese Cucumber Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 medium-sized cucumbers
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tsp hot chili oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 scallions, chopped thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 red chili peppers, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Using a peeler, roughly peel skin off of cucumbers. I personally leave some on because I like the aesthetics and texture.

Place paper towel over each cucumber, and then smash it with a large knife (such as a cleaver) or meat pounder.

Cut cucumbers in to 2 inch slices, and then place in a large mixing bowl.

Add salt and mix well with cucumbers. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, and then drain any excess juice at the bottom of bowl.

In a small cooking pan, heat up vegetable oil for about a minute. Then add scallions and swirl around the oil so it sizzles all the scallions, and quickly remove from heat, and add to the cucumbers.

Add garlic, chili peppers, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, hot chili oil, and mix well. You can also take a taste now to see if you’d like to add a little more salt.

Place in serving bowl – and serve!

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 servings

Chinese Cucumber Salad

Print

Chinese cucumber salad is a light veggie dish that is also refreshing. It uses cucumbers which is great for weight loss, and the garlicky vinegerette is not only a tasty addition but also a healthy one too.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 medium-sized cucumbers
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tsp hot chili oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 scallions, chopped thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 red chili peppers, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Using a peeler, roughly peel skin off of cucumbers. I personally leave some on because I like the aesthetics and texture.
2. Place paper towel over each cucumber, and then smash it with a large knife (such as a cleaver) or meat pounder.
3. Cut cucumbers in to 2 inch slices, and then place in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add salt and mix well with cucumbers. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, and then drain any excess juice at the bottom of bowl.
5. In a small cooking pan, heat up vegetable oil for about a minute. Then add scallions and swirl around the oil so it sizzles all the scallions, and quickly remove from heat, and add to the cucumbers.
6. Add garlic, chili peppers, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, hot chili oil, and mix well. You can also take a taste now to see if you'd like to add a little more salt.
7. Place in serving bowl – and serve!

Notes

Smashing the cucumbers is an Asian cooking technique. This preparation will cause the cucumbers to bust open which does a couple of things 1) it remove excess cucumber juice to come out that will make the cucumbers more crunch and 2) it also allows all the delicious sauces to cover more parts of the cucumber and be sucked in to the cucumber making it more flavorful.

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  Native Harvest Organic Non-GMO Naturally Expeller Pressed Vegetable Oil, 1 Litre (33.8 FL OZ)
• 
  Hiware 10-Pairs Fiberglass Chopsticks - Reusable Chopsticks Dishwasher Safe, 9 1/2 Inches - Black
• 
  Marukan Seasoned Rice Vinegar 12 Oz (12 oz), 12 oz
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  Fine Ground Celtic Sea Salt – (1) 16 Ounce Resealable Bag of Nutritious, Classic Sea Salt, Great for Cooking, Baking, Pickling, Finishing and More, Pantry-Friendly, Gluten-Free

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 163Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1180mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g

The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands for more precise nutrition information.

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If you enjoyed this cucumber salad, you’ll probably enjoy my Chinese Shredded Chicken Cucumber Salad too! Recipe here.

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