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Home » Recipes » Salads

Sweet & Spicy Cucumber Salad

Published: Jul 11, 2019 · Modified: Aug 17, 2020 by Lexi

2.9K shares
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This refreshing Asian-inspired cucumber salad is cooling summer side dish. The dressing is a little spicy, salty and gingery, with a fresh garnish of cilantro and scallions.

Overhead view of aisan cucumber salad in a bowl

We love dressings full of minced ginger. This root adds an unexpected but lovely note of refreshment and spice to all veggies, cooked or raw.

To keep your ginger the freshest, we recommend storing it in the freezer. The root will last for months in there, though once you start making this Asian cucumber salad, you'll probably go right through your stash.

overhead of asian cucumber salad in a bowl with spices around

When it comes time to mince an inch or so of frozen ginger for this recipe or others, simply take the root out of the freezer and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. It defrosts quickly, so you can simply slice off the amount you need and return the rest to the freezer.

The next step is peeling. In fact, if you use a microplane, which is highly handy and one of my favorite kitchen tools, you don't even need to remove the ginger peel.

But, if you're without such a fine grater, it's still quite easy to remove the thin ginger skin. Simply use a regular spoon to scrape off the brown outer layer. This way, you'll remove just the skin and avoid wasting much of the delicious flavor inside.

overhead of asian cucumber salad in a bowl with fresh herbs

Ingredients

We complement the ginger flavor in our Asian dressing for this cucumber salad with a hit of chili garlic sauce. It's great because it adds both spice and a nice garlicky boost.

You may find yourself adding an extra spoonful or two to this Asian-inspired salad, and more of your favorite summer salads. It's especially nice in this rainbow summer slaw!

overhead of asian cucumber salad with ginger dressing in a bowl

More summer recipes

This Asian cucumber salad is delicious alongside some of our other favorite vegan summer entrees:

  • Smoky Beet Veggie Burgers
  • Key Lime Cucumber Gin Cocktail - for any leftover cukes!
  • Caprese Panini with Pesto and Avocado
  • Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
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overhead view of Sweet & Spicy Cucumber Salad in bowl with serving spoon

Asian-Inspired Cucumber Salad


★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This refreshing cucumber salad with spicy, salty and gingery Asian dressing is cooling and welcome any day of the summer. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large cucumbers or 6 mini, sliced thinly
  • 1 small shallot, minced or thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Salt to taste
  • Cilantro and green onion for topping

Instructions

  1. Combine shallot, rice vinegar, tamari, coconut sugar, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, minced ginger, minced garlic and salt in a jar or small bowl. 
  2. Add sliced cucumbers to a large serving bowl, top with dressing and toss. Top with chopped cilantro and green onions for garnish. 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: No cook
  • Cuisine: Asian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Bowl
  • Calories: 78
  • Sugar: 2.5 g
  • Sodium: 862.8 mg
  • Fat: 6.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 4 g
  • Fiber: 0.4 g
  • Protein: 0.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: spicy cucumber salad

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Noël

    July 19, 2019 at 12:40 am

    The only reason for a 4 vs a 5 is I wasn't a fan of the sweet. I would absolutely make this again sans coconut sugar. I just don't like sweet things and while I am all for trying them out I still can't love it. I made the recipe exactly as written except I noticed in your pictures the shallots were not minced but rather sliced. Next time I'll do that for more texture but overall... delicious!

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      July 21, 2019 at 8:55 am

      Hi Noël,

      Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
    • Tamekia

      July 22, 2020 at 12:59 pm

      But despite the coconut sugar does it taste good? I'm omitting the sugar as well.

      Reply
      • Lexi

        July 22, 2020 at 1:36 pm

        Hi! I personally think the coconut sugar helps balance all of the flavors and it's such a small amount that it doesn't really affect the overall taste, but up to you.

        Reply

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