Smashed Cucumber Salad - Khin's Kitchen (2024)

Super easy refreshing Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad recipe with crunchy cucumber and a garlicky, savoury, spicy, tangy sauce. One of the best Asian cucumber salad recipes with minimum ingredients and minimum preparation time! Perfect side dish for any main dish.

If you love Asian-style cucumber salads and pickle recipes, don’t miss out on our spicy Korean cucumber salad recipe. They’re equally delicious, easy to make and the perfect side dish to pair with any main meal!

Why do you smash cucumber?

When you slightly bash the cucumber, it bursts open, making it easier to absorb the flavour. A rough, uneven-textured smashed cucumber soaks up the dressing sauce better than a regular sliced cucumber.

Best Cucumber for Salad

I used mini cucumbers, which are very crunchy in texture and great for this quick salad recipe. You can also try it with English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, Kirby cucumbers, or a choice of Asian cucumbers.

Choose fresh, firm, dark green cucumbers without any soft spots or wrinkles. Smaller cucumbers are crisper and less in seeds. Make sure the cucumbers are free of yellow spots. Yellow spots cucumbers are not fresh and it’s very less likely to be crispy.

Ingredients You'll Need

The following is a quick guide with photos. Please scroll down to find a printable recipe and measurements on the recipe card.

• Cucumbers
• Salt
• Garlic
• Rice vinegar
• Regular soy sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Sesame oil
• Chili oil
• Fresh chilli
• Toasted sesame seeds

Substitutes and Add-ons

• You can add Korean Gochugaru pepper flakes instead of chilli oil and fresh chillies.
• For a more authentic taste, use Chinese black rice vinegar, which is a bit malty and sweeter in flavour.
• Fresh lemon juice can be also used as a vinegar substitute.
• Brown sugar is added to balance the salty and sour dressing sauce. You can omit sugar if you prefer it less sweet.

How to Make Smashed Cucumber Salad

1. Wash and Prepare

Rinse the cucumbers in cold water to remove pesticides or dirt. If you are using mini or small cucumbers with thin skin, you don’t need to peel them.

For thick skin cucumber, use a peeler to peel off the thick skin and leave some part for the colour.

Use a sharp knife to slice off the end tips and discard the trimmed tips.

2. Smash the Cucumber

1. Slightly bash the cucumber and let it burst open.

2. Cut it diagonally into bite-size pieces.

3. Place the cucumbers in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt and toss it well. Set it aside for 5 minutes.

4. Remove the water from the cucumbers and gently pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

3. Toss Smashed Cucumbers with Salad Dressing

5. Combine rice vinegar, regular soy sauce, brown sugar, grated garlic, chilli oil, and fresh chillies. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.

6. Pour the dressing sauce in and toss everything well. Then, transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top.

Expert Tips:

Salt the cucumbers! Salting cucumbers is a simple cooking hack you must not skip when making pickles or salad. Sprinkle salt over the cucumber slices to pull out the excess moisture, and then you can easily drain the water out.

Customize the seasonings - This Asian cucumber salad dressing has a sweet, tangy, and savoury taste. You can easily adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Add a Choice of Toppings - Toasted sesame seeds or roasted crushed peanuts add a nutty, crunchy bite. Toasted almond flakes, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and crushed walnuts are also great add-ons.

Frequent Questions and Answers

Is smashed cucumber salad spicy?

No, it's not a spicy salad. I just love to add chilli oil and fresh chillies for a kick of heat. You can either make it spicy or mild to your own taste by adjusting the amount of chillies.

What to serve together with this cucumber salad?

Smashed cucumber salad pairs perfectly with a variety of dishes, such as stir-fries, noodles, rice, soups, or any main meal you wish!

What other ingredients can you add?

You can also add salad onions, salad tomatoes, celery, fried shallots, or crispy fried garlic for more flavour and texture.

More Popular Chinese Side Dishes

If you enjoyed this Chinese cucumber salad recipe, here are more of our restaurant-quality Chinese side dishes recipes you can try out.

• Easy Pak Choi Recipe with Garlic Sauce ( Ready in 10 minutes! )
• Yuk Sung ( Chinese Lettuce Wraps ) ( Loaded with chicken and crunchy veggies! )
• Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid ( Better than takeout recipe! )
• Spicy Peanut Noodles ( Quick noodle salad with creamy spicy peanut sauce. )

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