Description
This crunchy and refreshing Carrot Cucumber Salad is made with a delicious sesame garlic soy dressing. It comes together in less than 10 minutes for a flavorful and easy vegan side dish!
Ingredients
- 2 cups thinly sliced mini cucumber (~3-4 mini cucumbers)
- 2 cups thinly sliced carrot (~3-4 medium carrots)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot or red onion (1-2 shallots)
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (~1 clove)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil (can use toasted sesame oil)
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (aka sambal oelek)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce and coconut sugar.
- Add the carrots, cucumber, shallots, garlic, cilantro and sesame seeds to a large mixing bowl.
- Toss with dressing until well coated.
- Serve right away or chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
Baby cucumber: We used baby cucumber so that the rounds were roughly the same width as the carrots. You can also use a larger English cucumber, but you may want to halve or quarter the cucumber lengthwise before slicing for smaller pieces.
Use a mandoline for the vegetables: A mandoline is our best friend when it comes to perfectly even, super thinly sliced vegetables. It's MUCH faster and more precise than using a regular knife, and it's super versatile.
Rinse the shallot for a less harsh flavor: If you're not a huge fan of raw shallot/onion flavor, give it a quick rinse before adding to this salad. To do so, slice, place in a mesh strainer and rinse under hot tap water for 20 seconds, then cold water for 10 seconds. (You can also do this with the garlic.)
Let it sit: For maximum flavor, let this salad chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving. It's not essential, but it will pack in a lot more flavor. This will also help soften the vegetables slightly, so they have almost a quick-pickled texture, which makes this easier to eat.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Any longer than that and the vegetables will be too soggy.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Asian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 107
- Sugar: 4.4 g
- Sodium: 176.6 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.2 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
