Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (VIDEO)
This Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad is a classic Chinese appetizer that's sweet, savory and so refreshing!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb cucumber Persian or English
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tsp ginger grated, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
- Cut cumbers into 1.5" pieces; carefully smash them with the large end of your knife. Remove the inner flesh and seeds from each piece of cucumber.
- Add the smashed cucumbers to the dressing and mix together. Marinate for 10 minutes. Serve!
Video
Notes
Cucumbers - I recommend Persian or English cucumbers because they are seedless. and are typically sweeter and contain less water than regular cucumbers. This will result in a more crisp salad when marinated in the delicious dressing!
Dry the Cucumbers - After washing your cucumbers, wipe them down to remove any excess water and prevent from watering down the salad. The cucumbers are already high in water content!
Smash with Caution - I like to smash my cucumbers with the flat side of my knife (cleaver) but you use anything heavy to smash your cucumbers, like a meat mallet, rolling pin, pestle or even a clean can.
Scrape Out Inner Seeds and Flesh - This is optional but I like to scrape out some of the inner seeds and flesh of the cucumber and discard.
Storage - Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You may notice that the dish will get more watery the longer it sits - this is due to the high water content of cucumbers and is normal. I prefer eating this immediately or within 1-2 days of making it.
Nutrition
Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 799mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 163IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
