Asian Cucumber Salad With Sesame
by This Asian Cucumber Salad is cool, crisp and tangy, with thinly sliced cucumber, green onion, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil. It takes about 5 minutes to toss together, then a quick chill lets all those sweet, savory and nutty flavors soak in.
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
This Started As A Rice Bowl Topping, But It’s Too Useful To Stop There
I originally developed this sesame cucumber salad as the cool, crunchy component for a pulled pork rice bowl (recipe coming soon!). But once I made it, I realized I didn’t need to wait for the rice bowl to make it again. It’s just as useful as a quick side dish for grilled meat, salmon or pretty much anything served with rice.
There’s almost no technique required here. Thinly sliced cucumber and green onion get tossed directly with rice vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil and salt, then everything chills together for 30 minutes. The cucumber picks up plenty of sweet-tangy sesame flavor while still keeping its crunch.
Why You Will Love This Asian Cucumber Salad
- One bowl, seven ingredients. There’s no separate dressing to whisk and no cooking involved.
- The 30-minute chill does the work. It gives the vinegar, sugar and sesame oil time to season the cucumber and lets all the flavors come together.
- It balances richer meals. The cool cucumber and sharp rice vinegar are especially good alongside saucy meats, rice bowls and grilled food.
Asian Cucumber Salad Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- English cucumber – the thin skin and small seeds mean there’s no peeling or seeding required. Slice it thinly so the dressing can season every piece during the short chilling time.
- green onion – adds a mild onion flavor without overpowering the cucumber.
- rice vinegar – adds tanginess. Unseasoned rice vinegar is the simplest choice here since the recipe adds its own sugar and salt.
- granulated sugar – just enough to soften the acidity of the vinegar without turning this into a sweet cucumber salad.
- sesame seeds – add a little texture and reinforce the sesame flavor.
- toasted sesame oil – a teaspoon goes a long way. Be sure you’re using toasted sesame oil, which has a much deeper, nuttier flavor than regular sesame oil.
- kosher salt – seasons the cucumber and helps all the other flavors pop.
How To Make Asian Cucumber Salad
- TOSS. Place the thinly sliced cucumber and green onion in a medium bowl with the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and salt. Toss until everything is well combined.
- CHILL. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving so the cucumber has time to soak up the dressing.
Home Chef Tips For Sesame Cucumber Salad
- Slice the cucumber thinly and evenly. You don’t need to get the mandoline out (unless you really want to). Just slice it as thinly as you can with a sharp knife.
- Don’t skip the chilling time. This isn’t just about serving the salad cold. It gives the vinegar, sugar and sesame oil time to season the cucumber and lets all the flavors come together.
- Toss it again just before serving. The dressing naturally collects at the bottom of the bowl, so one last toss makes sure every cucumber slice gets coated.
Make Ahead And Storage
- Make Ahead: This salad needs at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving, so it’s naturally make-ahead friendly. For the crispest texture, make it no more than a few hours before you plan to eat it.
- Refrigerate: Store leftover cucumber salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The flavor will continue to develop, but the cucumbers will gradually become softer.
- Freeze: Freezing isn’t recommended. Cucumbers lose their crisp texture once frozen and thawed.
More Foxes Love Lemons Favorites
Sesame Cucumber Salad
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
- â…“ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place cucumber, onion, vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and salt in medium bowl and toss until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
