Asian Cucumber Salad
Garden fresh cucumbers sliced incredibly thin with white onion make this Asian Cucumber Salad incredibly light and refreshing!
Servings 4 people
Calories 77kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers English or Japanese, approximately 6 cups
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 white or vidalia onion about 1 1/2 cups
- 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted, optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
Instructions
- Slice cucumbers as thinly as possible (with mandoline or by hand). Place a colander either in a clean sink or over a bowl. Layer the cucumbers in a single(ish) layer in the colander, or on paper towels or clean kitchen linen, and sprinkle with salt. Let sweat for at least 30 minutes to release excess liquid.
- Use mandoline to slice 1/2 of a large white onion in thin half circles and add to a medium sized bowl.
- Optional: Heat a small saute pan over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and toast for 1 -2 minutes stirring constantly so they don't burn.
- In a small bowl add rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, oyster sauce, and dill and mix well.
- After 30 minutes of sweating, transfer cucumbers to a colander and rinse off excess salt and liquid. Shake off excess water and then gently press with paper towels or a clean dry kitchen linen to remove excess liquid.
- Add cucumbers to the bowl with the onions. Pour over vinegar dressing and mix well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate for about 10 minutes and then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions
Cucumbers: English and Japanese Cucumbers work best for this recipe but you can't find them, use a regular cucumber but peel because the skin is much tougher.
Onion: Yellow onions work well, too.
Oyster Sauce: A vegetarian oyster sauce is also great for this. Either adds just the right amount of umami.
Dill: Substitute 1 teaspoon of dried for the 1 tablespoon of fresh.
Sweat the Cucumbers: This step is not required, but it will help reduce the amount of water released from the cucumbers into the salad, which can dilute the flavors.
A mandoline is not required but it will help get the most consistent and thinnest slices.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g | Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1290mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg