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    Home » Asian Inspired Recipes » A Simple Cucumber Salad

    A Simple Cucumber Salad

    Published: Nov 21, 2013 · Modified: Nov 12, 2022 by Linda Baker · This post may contain affiliate links

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    A simple cucumber salad is a simple, easy, refreshing cucumber salad that goes perfectly with Asian spiced dishes. Try it with curry or other hot dishes.

    a simple cucumber salad

    The story behind A Simple Cucumber Salad

    When I'm making spicy Thai-styled foods, like Sesame Crusted Yellowtail Tuna with Two Sauces, or Salmon with Thai Red Curry Sauce, I like to serve a simple cucumber salad with it. The salad, like raita in Indian cooking,  helps cool down the heat of the curry, offering you a pause that refreshes.

    And when I say it's a Simple Cucumber Salad, I mean it, it's simple.

    Cucumbers, while in reality are a fruit, are considered by some to be a vegetable. As a member of the gourd family (remember your pumpkin is also a fruit);  cucumbers have been cultivated since the middle ages. They are incredibly easy to grow and can be left to crawl on the ground, or trained to climb a trellis. All they need is some fairly decent soil, water, and sun. Bees love cucumber flowers and happily pollinate your plants for you.

    Cucumbers are divided into three categories, slicing, pickling, and burp-less, but there are hundreds of varieties in each category. For this recipe you could use any slicing or burp-less variety, I used a hothouse English variety (those long ones that come all wrapped up in plastic), but in the summer I use whatever I have growing in the garden.

    I use my mandolin to slice my cucumbers, but a sharp knife will work as well. I like the mandolin because it keeps all the slices exactly the same thinness, but a little variation isn't going to really hurt anything. If I have a red onion, as I did today, I like to add a little to the salad, but it's not necessary. Because I was serving this with the Sesame Crusted Yellow Tail, I did not sprinkle in the optional sesame seeds, that would have been sesame seed overload! But otherwise, it's a nice addition.

    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. Very powerful indeed, so just a few drops to round out the acidity of the rice wine vinegar. Adding the salt and sugar directly to the cucumber helps to soften them and helps release their juices, a desirable result.

    If you are not making a spicy dish to serve this Simple Cucumber Salad with, then you could spice up the salad itself by mixing some chili garlic sauce in instead of the red pepper flakes. Either way, this salad is super easy, and super low calorie and low fat, so enjoy it anytime.

    a simple cucumber salad
    a simple cucumber salad

    A Simple Cucumber Salad

    LindySez
    A simple cucumber salad is a simple, easy, refreshing cucumber salad that goes perfectly with Asian spiced dishes. Try it with curry or other hot dishes.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Salads, Side Dish
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 18 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 English cucumber (or other if desired) thinly sliced
    • ½ of a red onion quartered and thinly sliced, (optional)
    • Salt to taste (about ½ teaspoon is where I start)
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
    • Dash sesame seed oil
    • Dash red pepper flakes optional
    • 1 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds optional

    Instructions
     

    • Toss the cucumber and red onion, if using, with the salt and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes then add the other ingredients. Mix well. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes for all the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust with salt and sugar as needed. Serve. See, simple!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gSodium: 178mgFiber: 1gCalories: 18kcalProtein: 1gCarbohydrates: 3g
    Keyword Asian cucumber salad, easy Asian salad, fresh cucumber salad
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Related

    « Sesame Crusted Yellowtail Tuna with Two Sauces
    Salmon with Thai Red Curry Sauce »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cristina

      December 06, 2013 at 4:50 pm

      any variation of cucumber is fine with me, but had not had this one, quite tasty!

      Reply
      • LindySez

        December 06, 2013 at 5:20 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Jessica

      January 30, 2014 at 12:24 pm

      This looks so easy! I am putting it on my menu for next week! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Elle

      January 31, 2014 at 4:53 am

      English or european cucumbers as they call them in this neck of the woods work best for me Linda, less giant sized seeds, plus I'm used to them! This is definitely going on my lunch menu, it looks so light and tasty.

      Reply
      • LindySez

        January 31, 2014 at 5:43 pm

        We have a tendency here to just call them "hot house" cucumbers, but I know them as English cucumbers. I love their tiny seeds and that you can eat the skin without peeling, especially when they are thinly sliced like they are in this dish. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Cher

      January 31, 2014 at 4:28 pm

      This really looks great and as usual, I cannot wait to try it!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lindy.

    I am a home-trained chef who loves to cook and eat delicious food. As I like to say, "Life is too short to eat mediocre food". And I find too much food out there is mediocre. I don't think good food needs to be fussy, or difficult to prepare. Most of my recipes are fresh, quick, easy, and tasty while keeping both calories and fats in check. 

    More about me →

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