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One of the easiest Asian cucumber salad with toasted sesame topping and sesame oil! Super quick, healthy, fresh, and so delicious!
This Asian cucumber salad is one of my go-to Asian salad recipes! I love the combination of the tangy dressing with the fragrant toasted and slightly crunchy yet spicy sesame topping.
It makes for an excellent appetizer or side dish to serve along with any kind of food, preferably Asian meals. Plus, it’s seriously so easy and quick to prepare!
The Asian cucumber salad dressing is made with only 3 ingredients: soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sesame oil.
On top comes the most delicious sesame topping! Mortared and toasted sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and black pepper – they make for a nice crunch, beautiful flavor, and some spiciness! Feel free to skip the red pepper flakes for a milder taste.
Tastewise, it comes very close to Japanese cucumber salad. Although, the Japanese one is made with rice vinegar and not balsamic vinegar. Do you prefer the Japanese cucumber salad version? Substitute balsamic vinegar with rice vinegar.
I am sure you will love the fact that this cucumber salad is super healthy and almost fat-free (only 1 tsp of sesame oil is needed).
Plus, it can easily be made in advance. Let it marinate for 2 hours up to one day in the fridge, and it will be even more flavorful as the cucumber has more time to soak up the dressing.
All credit for this brilliant recipe goes to Jamie Oliver. I adapted it from his “brilliant bang bang cucumber salad.” You can find the original recipe in his grandiose cookbook VEG, which I highly recommend for anyone who loves to cook a decent vegetarian meal. Jamie’s recipes are always spot on and come with the most beautiful flavors.
Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe
Read through this visual step-by-step guide with lots of extra tips! The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Scratch the cucumber with a fork, then lay it on a cutting board and crush the cucumber flat using your fist. Slice diagonally while rotating the cucumber.
→This is a Japanese cutting technique and gives the cucumber a larger surface to absorb the seasoning faster).
- Toss with salt and let it drain over a sieve for 10 minutes.
- Place the sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a mortar and crush a few times. Add it into a skillet and toast for 5 minutes over medium to low heat until fragrant.
- Squeeze excess juice from the cucumber using your hands, place in a large bowl and toss with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sesame oil. Sprinkle with the toasted seasoning!
Recipe FAQ & Tips
Can this salad be prepared in advance? Absolutely! Make it 2 hours or up to one day in advance and store it in the refrigerator. This way, the cucumber can absorb the dressing even better, resulting in a more flavorful salad.
How long does it stay fresh? Leftovers can be stored for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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📖 Recipe
Asian Cucumber Salad
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Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Scratch each cucumber with a fork, then lay it on a cutting board and crush the cucumber flat using your fist. Slice diagonally while rotating the cucumber (this is a Japanese cutting technique and gives the cucumber a larger surface to absorb the seasoning faster).
- Toss with salt and let it drain over a sieve for 10 minutes.
- Place the sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a mortar and crush a few times. Add it into a skillet and toast for 5 minutes over medium to low heat until fragrant.
- Squeeze excess juice from the cucumbers using your hands, place in a large bowl and toss with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sesame oil. Sprinkle with the toasted seasoning!
