Making Ahead
I don’t recommend making this salad ahead of time. The water from the cucumbers will makes the dressing very thin. Given how quick it is, I would suggest making it right before serving. That said, I still do enjoy the leftovers of this salad. It seems like no matter what meal I’m having, I’d love to have a salad to go on the side. In fact, more often than not when out with Nathan, I will order a salad appetizer that is meant to share, and hog the whole thing. This Asian Cucumber Salad tastes like something you would order out, but is so simple to make at home. Made with delicious ingredients that pull the ingredients together, this salad recipe is a homerun. Share it with the people you love, but I won’t judge you if you hog it.
Cucumbers: Please read below on what type of cucumber to buy.Rice Wine Vinegar: This distinct form of vinegar provides a really unique flavor to this salad and I would suggest that you not replace it with a different type.Sesame Oil: As with the vinegar, the sesame oil provides such a unique taste you will want to go with this over an olive oil.Sugar: The small amount of sugar in this recipe is meant to balance the other flavors. If you are counting carbs, I would suggest not leaving it out but either cutting the amount in half or replacing it with a monk fruit substitute.Garlic: You can’t beat fresh garlic in a recipe like this.Ginger: Consider buying a tube of minced ginger. It will keep in your refrigerator for ages and makes it so easy to make this and other recipes.Cilantro: I love what the cilantro adds to this recipe. If your family tastes soap with cilantro just leave it out.Green Onions: These add the perfect little bit of oniony tang to the recipe. If you have to replace them with something else, consider using shallots or red onions.Red Jalapeño: You can read more about these below, but if you can’t find one, just replace it with a green jalapeño. You will miss out on a little spice and some color, but you will still enjoy the recipe.
Obviously, for this salad we want to steer clear of pickling cucumbers. Beyond that, you can really use whatever type you like most. I would suggest that what is more important is that you use a skinnier cucumber, because those smaller pieces will be better for this salad. You can also use it in my Chicken Lettuce Wraps or my Teriyaki Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner. Both of those would go great with this salad too! It is also great in my easy Chicken Fried Rice and Edamame Salad. I do not recommend replacing it with a different oil for this recipe. Red jalapeños tend to be a little spicier than green jalapeños. That said, they don’t make this salad overly spicy. If you can’t find a red jalapeño, you could substitute it with green.
Chicken Lo MeinBourbon ChickenSzechuan ChickenTeriyaki Salmon Foil Packets
If you make this salad or any of my other recipes leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
