This easy Asian Cucumber Salad recipe is crisp and fresh, with just the right balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. It takes only 10 minutes to make so it’s the perfect summer side dish or condiments for your burger or sandwich!
There are so many ways to do a cucumber salad. You can make a Creamy Cucumber Salad, you can add some Greek flair and make it a Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, or you can give it an Asian spin—and that, my friends, would be this Asian cucumber salad recipe. And don’t let the name fool you, this is a salad that pairs well with just about anything, making it one of those go-to side dishes you find yourself adding to the menu a few times a month.
Why This Asian Cucumber Salad Is a Hit
The flavor in this Asian cucumber salad is so fresh, tangy, and delicious, it’s easy to eat a whole batch all by yourself!
- Super easy. This Asian cucumber salad takes only 10 minutes to make. Which is basically the “slicing” part of recipe. Simple!
- Layers of flavor. This recipe gets its tangy flavor from rice wine vinegar. Instead of cream, yogurt, or sour cream I add a little toasted sesame oil, which amplifies the Asian flavor. I finish it off with red pepper flakes and a touch of honey to balance the acidity.
- So many ways to use it. This salad is great as a fun summer side dish or you can use it as a condiment and pile it on top of Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Burgers, or Chipotle Barbacoa Tacos.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this refreshing and summery cucumber salad. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Seedless cucumbers – Very thinly sliced; mini cucumbers, like Persian cucumbers, work best for this recipe.
- Red onion – You can swap in shallots or even green onions for a milder onion flavor.
- Red bell pepper – Finely diced, for a pop of color and sweetness.
- Rice wine vinegar – This is sometimes also labeled as rice vinegar.
- Honey – Balances the vinegar with a touch of sweetness.
- Sesame seeds – You can use white, black, or a combination of both.
- Toasted sesame oil – Be sure to use toasted, not plain sesame oil, for a rich, toasted nutty aroma.
- Red pepper flakes – Adjust the amount to taste.
- Sea salt – Kosher salt will also work.
How to Make Asian Cucumber Salad
This salad just requires a few steps to make! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Combine the veggies. Add the sliced cucumber, red onion, red pepper, and sesame seeds to a bowl.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the rice wine vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and sea salt in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Toss to coat. Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to combine.
- Serve. You can either serve immediately or refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavors to meld.
Tips and Variations
Here are some additional pointers and variations for this Asian cucumber salad recipe.
- Slice the cucumbers very thin. Asian cucumber salad is at its best when the cucumbers are thinly sliced—about 1/8-inch. This can be somewhat labor intensive, but if you have a mandoline, it will make your life much easier. If you use a knife, it will take you 5-10 minutes to slice the cucumbers.
- Add hot peppers. If you enjoy spicy foods, you can use a hot chili pepper instead of (or in addition to) the bell pepper.
- Use cucumbers from your garden. If you have “regular” cucumbers from your garden or the farmers market, you can use those instead of seedless cucumbers. But to keep your salad from getting soggy, you’ll need to slice the cucumbers lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
This Asian cucumber salad pairs well with light grilled dishes like Chile Lime Grilled Salmon and Thai Grilled Chicken Thighs. Use it as a side for Asian dishes like Thai Vegetable Curry and Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, or use it as an add-on for Asian Noodle Salad and Korean Beef Bowls.
How to Store
Cucumbers can be stored in the vinegar dressing for up to 3 days. If stored longer than 3 days, the cucumbers will start to lose their crispness. But then you’ll have Asian cucumber pickles and hey, pickles are good too!
More Simple Side Salads
Asian Cucumber Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish, Appetizer, Vegetarian, Condiments, Salads
- Method: Salad, How to Cold Pickle
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This easy Asian Cucumber Salad is crisp and fresh, with just the right balance of sweet, tangy and savory flavors. The perfect summer side!
Ingredients
- 4 cups of very thinly sliced seedless cucumbers (i used mini cucumbers)
- 1/4 cup of finely sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup of fined diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Instructions
- Add VERY thinly sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, diced red pepper, and sesame seeds to a medium size bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together rice wine vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and sea salt .
- Add dressing to the cucumber bowl. Toss to mix everything.
- Serve immediately or cover and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two to let all the flavors meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 28
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
