Asian Cucumber Salad

Asian Cucumber Salad packs a huge flavor punch and is the perfect side dish, appetizer or topping. The cucumbers are fresh and crunchy and are coated in the perfect sauce. It's tangy, sweet, and has a big umami flavor profile. After you make these once, you will always want to keep a jar in your fridge for the perfect healthy snack or side dish.

Cucumbers have been going viral lately! But this recipe is one I've been spending time perfecting. I first had these at a restaurant in California called Din Tai Fung. I fell in love with their cucumber salad flavors and I was craving it all the time! So it was time to get creative in my own kitchen. Now, I can have it whenever I want. That's the beauty of home cooking!

Ingredients you'll need for Cucumber Salad

• 1 Cucumber - English
• 1 ½ tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoon Smoked Fish Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Chili Oil
• 1 tablespoon Pomegranate Concentrate
• 1 ½ teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• ½ teaspoon MSG (optional)
• 2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon Scallion
• 1 ½ tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

Helpful Equipment/Ingredient Links

• Mandoline for slicing cucumbers - This one has easy to use and clean attachments!
• Kim Chi Sprinkles - Can be found on Amazon
• Fish Sauce - This has been my favorite one !
• Soy Sauce - an affordable and delicious Japanese soy sauce
• Pomegranate Concentrate - Don't have an asian grocery store? Try Amazon!

Instructions for Asian Cucumber Marinade

Step 1: Slice cucumber with mandoline slicer. You want these to be thin slices but not too floppy and see through. Fill up a mason jar or glass container.

Step 2: Mince or chop garlic and thinly slice scallions.

Step 3: In cucumber filled mason jar, pour in the liquid ingredients : soy sauce, fish sauce, chili oil, pomegranate concentrate and rice wine vinegar. Then, add in MSG, garlic and scallions.

Step 4: Toasting Sesame Seeds - On a heated skillet, cook sesame seeds on low. Toss seeds around every 45-60 seconds until they look golden brown.

Step 5: Place sesame seeds into the jar, close lid and shake jar to incorporate ingredients well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 6: Enjoy as a side dish, or use as a topping for Poke Bowls, sushi, salads.... Whatever you desire!

How long do they last?

Keep your marinated cucumbers refrigerated when not using them. I don't suggest keeping them for more than 3 days. I also enjoy the crunch of the cucumber, and that crunch diminishes the longer they sit in the asian marinade. Normally, they aren't lasting that long in this household anyways. They go fast!

What to do with the Marinated Cucumbers:

I originally had these served as an appetizer. They were plated beautifully and cut much thicker. Our family enjoys snacking on them and eating them as a side dish. There's SO much more you can do with them though. When filming this recipe, we use them to top our tuna poke bowls for dinner. You could slice up red onions and tomatoes and make it a whole salad of its own or use them on wraps and rice dishes.

Video of Cucumber Salad

@cookitwithtim

Cucumbers are amazing! Give this a try or your version #cucumber #salad #trend @Kaitlyn✨✨ @tmbunch

♬ original sound - Tim Clowers

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Recipe

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