Spicy Cucumber Salad

This Asian-inspired spicy cucumber salad recipe is light, refreshing, and healthy. It's packed with fresh ingredients like crisp accordion cucumbers, green onion, soy sauce, red chili flakes, garlic, and sesame oil. The perfect 5-minute side dish, appetizer, and snack!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Serving servings

Ingredients

The Salad:

8 mini or Persian cucumbers
1 green onion, ends trimmed and finely sliced
Sesame seeds

The Dressing:

1 ½ tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminios (if gluten free)
1 ½ tbsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp crushed or full red chili flakes

Instructions

Prepare the Accordion Cucumbers. Wash, dry, and cut the ends off the cucumbers. Now, doing this one at a time, place a cucumber between two chopsticks. Cut the cucumber at a 45° angle, making thin diagonal slices on the top (the chopstick will prevent you from cutting all the way through). Flip the cucumber over and make 90° angle cuts. Don’t cut the cucumbers straight across or at a 45° angle again - the spiral won’t work! Cut the spiraled cucumbers in half, then add them to a large mixing bowl.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Assemble the salad. Pour dressing over cucumbers and mix gently so the cucumbers don’t break. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Notes

English Cucumber: If you want to make accordion cucumbers, you much use mini or Persian cucumbers; however, you can certainly use an English cucumber in this recipe too. Simply wash, dry, and cut the English cucumber into bite-sized pieces or slices.

Add Nuts: You can add 1/2 cup of chopped almonds, cashews, or peanuts for extra crunch.

Add lettuce if you want. Feel free to serve this spicy cucumber salad recipe on a bed of chopped remain, spinach, Boston lettuce, or iceberg. It will add volume.

Serving: Spicy cucumber salad goes well with so many dishes. You can serve it with this simple grilled chicken, these air fryer boneless chicken thighs, these asian chicken meatballs, or this air fryer teriyaki chicken. If you’re craving seafood, try these furikake salmon bowls, air fryer tilapia, or these air fryer teriyaki salmon bites.

Storing: For best results, keep any leftover spicy cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Course Appetizer, Side, Snack

Cuisine Asian

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