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When you’re in the mood for a light, no-lettuce salad, this cucumber salad is such a refreshing alternative. It’s tossed in a quick sesame-ginger dressing, so it has an unexpected flavor that will brighten up practically any meal. Plus, you can assemble it in minutes!
I particularly like it served with Kung Pao Tofu, but you can also serve it as a side dish with baked chicken breasts or perfect baked salmon.
If you want to make this ahead of time, feel free to stir together the dressing up to 3 days in advance. I wouldn’t toss the cucumbers in the dressing until shortly before serving, as they will release extra liquid as they sit in the bowl. (Not a big deal, but I prefer less liquid at the bottom of the bowl when possible.) Be sure to toss well just before serving, so that you’ll get plenty of flavor in each bite.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This was so good! Made it last night and saved half of the dressing and cucumbers for tonight – can’t wait to have it again!” – Kristin
Cucumber Salad Ingredients
- Cucumbers. I prefer to use small Persian cucumbers when I can find them, because then you can leave them in perfect bite-size circles as you slice them. If you find bigger cucumbers at the store, then you might want to slice them in half lengthwise, leaving you with half-moon shapes instead.
- Toasted Sesame Oil. A little of this goes a long way, flavor-wise. If you’re not a big fan of sesame flavor, you can do half olive oil, too.
- Lime Juice. Freshly squeezed lime juice is the perfect acid for this dressing, but you can use lemon juice if you prefer. (Don’t use bottled stuff, or it won’t taste as delicious.)
- Fresh Ginger. Use a microplate to finely mince fresh ginger directly into the bowl. This adds so much flavor for minimal effort.
- Honey. This balances the tangy dressing, but you can use maple syrup if you prefer.
- Fresh herbs. Chopped green onion and fresh mint give this salad an unexpected flavor. If you’re nervous to the add the mint, I don’t blame you. I was hesitant, too. But I read that this is a common ingredient in Asian salads, and now I understand why. It’s a nice addition! But this salad is also tasty without it, if it makes you nervous.
How to Make Asian Cucumber Salad
Step 1:
In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons each of fresh lime juice and toasted sesame oil. Then add about 1-inch of freshly minced ginger, a tablespoon of honey, and a tablespoon of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce).
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Stir well until the honey looks dissolved.
Step 2:
Thinly slice 1 pound of mini cucumbers and chop 3 green onions and approximately 2 tablespoons of fresh mint. Add the chopped ingredients to a bowl and stir well. Then taste the salad and adjust the flavoring if needed. You can add an extra pinch of salt to boost the flavor, or a little extra lime juice, if you like.
It’s ready to serve right away, garnished with sesame seeds on top. The longer the cucumbers sit in the dressing, the most diluted the dressing will taste, since the cucumbers will continue to release liquid as they sit.
Note: If you don’t plan on serving this entire salad right away, store the dressing and cucumbers separately in the fridge, so they won’t become too watery. You can toss them together later just before serving again.
Asian Cucumber Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
- 1 inch freshly minced ginger , or to taste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1 pound mini cucumbers , thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (or try basil or cilantro)
- 3 green onions , chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds , for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, honey, and tamari.
- Add in the cucumbers, mint, and green onions, and toss gently to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add a pinch of salt to boost the overall flavor, or add a little more honey or lime juice.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and serve right away. This salad will become watery when stored in the fridge, so I recommend storing the cucumbers and dressing separately if you need to store it for more than a few hours. The sliced cucumbers should last for up to 3 days in the fridge before getting soggy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Cucumber Tahini Salad Dressing
- Almost-Classic Greek Salad (with fresh dill)
- Lentil Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
If you try this salad, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it. And if you make any substitutions, I’d love to hear how that works for you, too.
🥕🥒This is a really refreshing salad. I did a lot of substituting because I was out of fresh mint and ginger. I had black sesame seeds, they worked. After just slicing the cucumbers and eating the salad, Ken and I both drank the dressing out of our bowls. So I julienned the rest of the cucs and added julienned carrots. Very pretty. I will no doubt add jicama (and maybe even Daicon radish) next time. The lime juice blends so well with the sesame oil and honey! 🥒🥕❣️