A Simple Cucumber Salad

This recipe for a Simple Cucumber Salad is just that...simple. And refreshing. Using fresh cucumber, along with some simple Asian flavors, makes a great cooler for your palette when eating spicy Asian fare or anytime you want a refreshing salad to enjoy.

Why you want to make this Simple Cucumber Salad

Here are three reasons to make this cucumber salad when serving spicy Thai-styled or other spicy foods:

1. Cooling Effect: Just like raita in Indian cuisine, cucumber salad helps cool down the heat from dishes like Sesame Crusted Yellowtail Tuna with Two Sauces or Salmon with Thai Red Curry Sauce, offering a refreshing break from the spice.
2. Flavor Balance: The crisp, mild taste of cucumber complements the bold, spicy flavors of Thai dishes, balancing out the meal and enhancing your overall dining experience.
3. Simple and Quick: This cucumber salad is easy to prepare, making it a convenient side dish that adds a cooling element to your spicy Thai-inspired meals without requiring much effort.

Jump to:

• Why you want to make this Simple Cucumber Salad
• A Bit of Cucumber Background
• Ingredients and Method
• Want it Spicy?
• Storage
• A Simple Cucumber Salad - Recipe Card

A Bit of Cucumber Background

A cucumber is technically a fruit, though it's often grouped with vegetables. As a member of the gourd family (like pumpkins, which are also fruits), cucumbers have been cultivated since the Middle Ages. They're easy to grow and can either sprawl on the ground or climb a trellis. With decent soil, water, and sun, they thrive. Plus, bees love cucumber flowers, ensuring natural pollination.

Cucumbers come in three main types: slicing, pickling, and burpless, but there are hundreds of varieties within each category. For this recipe, you can use any slicing or burpless variety. I used a hothouse English cucumber (those long ones wrapped in plastic), but in the summer, I prefer to use whatever's growing in my garden.

Ingredients and Method

I use my mandolin to keep all my cucumber slices the same thinness. A sharp knife will work if you don't have a mandolin or refuse to use one. I like the mandolin because it keeps all the slices the same thinness, but a little variation isn't going to hurt anything.

Next, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the onion, if using. While the onion is optional, I think it adds a nice flavor and crunch. If you are not a fan of raw onion, try soaking in some salted ice water for a few minutes, such as I did in this recipe for Shaved Asparagus Salad with Fennel. No harsh bite!

Adding salt and sugar directly to the cucumber helps to soften them and helps release their juices. While many recipes I read, instruct you to drain the cucumbers of their juice, I encourage you to allow the juice to remain to add to the cooling cucumberness of the salad. So toss the salt and sugar with the onions and cucumbers and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.

Now add the rest of the ingredients. Keep in mind the following:

• Use a gentle hand with the sesame seed oil as well. You want to have the ying/yang of sweet and sour and sesame seed oil is very powerful.
• Add just a few drops to round out the acidity of the rice wine vinegar.
• Taste and adjust.

Want it Spicy?

If you are serving this Simple Cucumber salad as a side to a non-spicy dish, you can make the salad spicy! It's as easy as:

• Add some red pepper flakes to the dressing.
• Add some Sriracha chili to the dressing.
• Thinly slice some red jalapeno and add it to the salad.

Storage

This cucumber salad will only hold for a day or so in the refrigerator as it will become very soft and slightly slimy if left longer. But because it's so simple to make, you can easily make it fresh whenever you want it!