This is one of those dishes that shows up at dumpling spots and immediately steals the table’s attention. Cold, crisp cucumbers coated in a punchy, savory dressing that somehow manages to be light and addictive at the same time. Officially, it’s called smashed cucumber salad — but let’s be honest, smashing isn’t mandatory.
Smashed Cucumber Salad (Without the Smashing)
I prefer thick spiral cuts or chunky slices instead. You get the same craggy edges that catch the dressing without turning the cucumbers into a watery mess. The key isn’t violence — it’s salting and draining. Do that part right and everything else falls into place.
This salad is bright, garlicky, lightly sweet, spicy, and deeply savory. It’s perfect alongside dumplings, noodles, or anything rich that needs a crisp counterpoint.
Notes From the Kitchen
Water: Cucumbers are mostly water, which is great for crunch but terrible for flavor if you don’t deal with it first. Salting pulls out excess moisture so the dressing actually sticks instead of sliding right off. Rinsing after keeps the salad balanced, not briny.
Quality Soy Sauce: Use a soy sauce you actually like. This is not the place for mystery sodium water.
Pick Your Cucumber: English or Persian cucumbers work best — thin skins, fewer seeds, better crunch.
Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large English or 2 Persian cucumbers
- 1 tbsp kosher salt for draining
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp good-quality soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp chili crunch to taste
- ¼ small sweet onion very thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cut cucumbers into thick spiral cuts or chunky slices.
- Toss cucumbers with kosher salt and let them sit in a colander for about 15 minutes. This pulls out excess water.
- Rinse the cucumbers under cold water to remove excess salt. Pat dry thoroughly with a clean towel.
- In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, white sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili crunch.
- Combine cucumbers and onion in a bowl. Pour dressing over and toss until evenly coated. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
