Spicy Cucumber Salad – Omnivore’s Cookbook

This easy recipe for a spicy cucumber salad is ideal for a fast and straightforward aspect dish. With only a few substances, you may whip up a tasty and refreshing salad with crunchy cucumbers in a wealthy savory dressing that may add some warmth to any meal. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Cucumber salad is a well-liked dish on Chinese language dinner tables. Regardless of if you wish to add a crisp appetizer to accompany a bowl of hot noodle soup, to stability out a pot of hearty braised pork belly, or have one thing inexperienced to serve with grilled meat, this spicy cucumber salad is an ideal selection.

I’ve shared this basic northern Chinese style cucumber salad up to now. On this recipe, I need to share a elaborate technique to reduce and put together cucumber for the very best texture.

Spicy cucumber salad substances

What kind of cucumber to make use of

Mini cucumbers and persian cucumbers are the very best kind for this recipe. You should utilize English cucumbers as properly, though their dimension is kind of huge for this chopping methodology. In case you’re close to a Chinese language market, you may as well use Chinese language cucumbers (one in all my favorites).

I don’t suggest utilizing American cucumbers as a result of they’re fairly thick and watery. 

Chili oil

Since chili oil is a key ingredient in spicy cucumber salad, I like to recommend both making it at residence or utilizing a jar from an excellent model. 

Making chili oil is kind of simple and I’ve a recipe displaying you how one can do it in your individual kitchen. 

In case you want to purchase chili oil, I like to recommend the one from The Mala Market, or the basic Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp.

Mise en place

You solely want 7 substances to make this scrumptious dish!

• Cucumber
• Rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Garlic
• Sugar
• Chili oil
• Sesame seeds

make spicy cucumber salad

Right here I need to present you how one can make spiral cucumber cuts so you may create a lovely trying dish like a Chinese language restaurant.

1. Place a pair of chopsticks on the edges of the cucumber as a information so that you don’t reduce by the cucumber, thinly slice the cucumber at a forty five diploma angle.
2. Flip the cucumber and reduce it the identical means on the opposite aspect.
3. Salt the cucumber and let it sit for some time, to launch moisture.
4. Combine the dressing.
5. Drain the moisture from the cucumber and pat dry.
6. Pour the dressing over the cucumber earlier than serving.

Create crunchy cucumber

On this recipe I salted the cucumber and let it marinate for 10 to fifteen minutes. Throughout this time, the cucumber will launch moisture and turn out to be barely crunchier. The cucumber may even have a greater taste this fashion. 

It’s essential to maintain the marinating time quick, and rinse off the salt as soon as the marinating is finished. So the cucumber received’t style too salty.

serve and retailer spicy cucumber salad

Spicy cucumber salad is a good aspect dish to accompany nearly any kind of Chinese main dish. You may also serve it as an appetizer on your Chinese BBQ party. 

Spicy cucumber salad tastes the very best in the event you make it and serve it as quickly as attainable. That being stated, you may make it forward and convey it to a celebration with none subject. You may make the salad the identical day and serve it later. In case you plan to make it forward and serve the subsequent day, I like to recommend mixing the cucumber with the dressing proper earlier than you serve it. As soon as salted, the cucumber will preserve releasing moisture and dilute the dressing.

Different scrumptious appetizer and aspect dishes

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Spicy Cucumber Salad

This easy recipe for a spicy cucumber salad is ideal for a fast and straightforward aspect dish. With only a few substances, you may whip up a tasty and refreshing salad with crunchy cucumbers in a wealthy savory dressing that may add some warmth to any meal. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make this dish gluten-free, use tamari to switch mild soy sauce.

Writer: Maggie Zhu

Course: Appetizer, Aspect

Delicacies: Chinese language

Key phrase: homestyle

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time: 0 minutes minutes

Whole Time: 20 minutes minutes

Components

• 5 to six (1 lb / 450 g) mini cucumbers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili oil (use much less in the event you want a much less spicy dish)
• 1 teaspoon white toasted sesame seeds

Directions

• Minimize and discard the ends of the cucumbers. Place one cucumber between two disposable chopsticks. Make skinny diagonal slices at a forty five diploma angle. Then flip the cucumber over and do the identical on the opposite aspect. Then halve the cucumber crosswise. Minimize the remainder of the cucumbers the identical means, then switch to a big bowl. Add the salt and toss totally along with your palms. Go away the salt on for quarter-hour or so, to attract out water. As soon as performed, rinse cucumbers and discard the water. Drain totally and frivolously pat the cucumbers dry.

• Combine the dressing substances in a small bowl.

• Proper earlier than serving, pour the sauce over and blend properly. If not served instantly, the cucumbers will preserve releasing water. Drain the water earlier than mixing the sauce. Serve at room temperature as an appetizer or aspect.

Diet

Serving: 1serving, Energy: 45kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.3g, Protein: 0.3g, Fats: 3.5g, Saturated Fats: 0.5g, Sodium: 223mg, Potassium: 43mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 1.5g, Calcium: 6mg