Asian Cucumber Salad

Name: Asian Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 Cucumbers (peeled and thinly sliced); 1/4 cup rice vinegar; 2 tsp brown sugar; 2 tsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp green onions (sliced); dash of red pepper flakes; dash of salt; 1 tbsp sesame seeds

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Make this delicious and easy-to-make gluten free Asian Cucumber Salad in just 25 minutes. It is the perfect side dish for any Asian-inspired meal, and happens to be a family favorite in my house.

Close up of thinly sliced cucumbers with sesame seeds in a glass bowl with text on image.

I’ve been making this Asian Cucumber Salad for as long as I can remember. I was first inspired after a visit to our local sushi restaurant. They would always serve a super small serving of their cucumber salad before the meal started. I would always ask for extra since I loved it so much and could honestly eat it as a meal. That sushi restaurant shut down (or wait, maybe we stopped going)… either way I didn’t get it often enough so I decided to recreate it at home.

In this post you will learn the following information.

Ingredients
Directions
FAQs
Tips & Tricks
Asian Recipes

Ingredients

Cucumbers – Regular cucumbers work just fine. I like to semi-peel the cucumber
Rice Vinegar – This is what gives that zing to the salad!
Brown sugar – Brown sugar cuts the vinegar.
Soy Sauce – I like to use low sodium and Mirin which is gluten free soy sauce.
Sesame oil – This adds additional nutty flavors to the cucumbers
Green onions – Sliced thin and sprinkled out throughout the cucumber salad.
Red pepper flakes – If you like spicy you can add a few pinches.
Sesame seeds – Gives a nice crunch and adds to the nutty flavors from the sesame seeds.

Directions

Hand with painted nails whisking brown dressing in a glass bowl on a marble countertop.

In a bowl mix together the rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.

Hand with painted nails thinly slicing cucumbers on a mandolin slicer into a bowl.

Peel half the cucumber and thinly slice on lowest setting of a mandolin slicer. Slice into the bowl.

Tongs tossing thinly sliced cucumber in brown dressing in a glass bowl on a marble countertop.

Sprinkle green onions, red pepper flakes and a dash of salt. Mix well and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Before serving, mix well, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

FAQs

How long can you keep cucumbers in vinegar?

Cucumbers are pickled in vinegar and can last for weeks in the vinegar. However, this salad doesn’t last a meal in my home!

Should English cucumbers be peeled before eating?

The answer is totally up to you whether you prefer cucumbers to be peeled or not. The skin on English cucumbers are much thinner making them ideal to not have to peel. They also contain no seeds making them ideal for most salads and sandwiches.

Why are English cucumbers in plastic?

The plastic wrap protects it’s thin skin and keeps it lasting longer (and fresher) in the refrigerator.

Glass bowl filled with thinly sliced cucumbers and sesame seeds on a wood mat.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making this recipe.Thin slices – I love using my OXO Handheld Mandolin Slicer. It gives a nice thin and even slice to the cucumber. Before I had my mandolin I would just thinly slice with a knife. I’ll be honest–this is one kitchen tool that I use probably use almost every day and worth every penny (it’s cheap, only $15)!

Make ahead – You can make this recipe right before you are about to serve dinner or for a deeper flavor make it ahead of time!

Peel or Not to Peel – You can take the time to peel the cucumbers or you can eat this salad with the skin. That is up to you.

Over head shot of a thinly sliced cucumbers with sesame seeds in a glass bowl.

Asian Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite recipes that compliment this Sesame Cucumber Salad perfectly!

If you make this recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

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