Smashed cucumber salad is a super popular Chinese dish, especially during summer. Because cucumber is a type of cooling food, it can cool down our bodies and beat the summer heat. It’s easy, tasty, and super refreshing! Let’s get started!
Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad Recipe
Serving: 2 to 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Rest time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
For the cucumber salad:
6 mini cucumbers
1/10 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cilantro
For the sauce:
1 small shallot, diced
4 tablespoons avocado oil, or other high smoking point oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red finger hot pepper, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar, or other types of vinegar
Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad Instructions
To prepare the cucumbers:
- After thoroughly cleaning the cucumbers, cut out the tips. Smash each cucumber with the flat side of a knife. Cut the cucumbers into small pieces. (By doing so, the cucumber will absorb the sauce much better.)
- As an alternative, you could also smash the cucumbers with a rolling pin, and cut them into small pieces.
- On a plate, place the cucumbers inside, and season them with salt and sugar. Rest for 10 minutes. (The cucumbers will release their liquid, and stay crunchy for a long time.) Discard the liquid.
To make the sauce:
- In a bowl, mix together the sesame seeds, garlic, and red finger hot pepper.
- In a small pot over low heat, pour the avocado oil inside, and add the shallot. Cook until lightly browned and aromatic for about 5 minutes. Remove the shallot. Turn to high heat, and heat it up until smoking hot.
- Pour the hot oil over the sesame seeds, garlic, and finger hot pepper. Mix in the soy sauce, sugar, and Chinkiang vinegar.
To serve:
- Scoop the sauce over the cucumbers and add the cilantro. Mix well and enjoy!
