This is a refreshing, crisp and healthy salad my family enjoys year round. It only takes 10 minutes of prep time and it’s so easy to make. There’s many variations of this classic Chinese cold dish and I like my salad with a softer milder garlic flavor so I gently fried the chopped garlic in oil and used the garlic oil as part of the cucumber dressing. If you’re looking for a main dish to pair this cucumber salad with, try my Honey Garlic Chicken. Enjoy!
key ingredients
- English or Mini Cucumbers: English and mini cucumbers have a thinner skin and crispier texture.
- Neutral Oil: I used avocado oil for this recipe. Canola or corn oil are good substitutes as well.
- Fresh Garlic: I finely chopped fresh garlic for this salad. Please do not use the jarred stuff!
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Rice Vinegar
- MSG: optional
- Chinese Chili Sauce: Momofuku’s Chili Crunch is currently my favorite chili sauce and my Taiwanese mother-in-law also approves!
key steps
- Gently Fry the Garlic: Set a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and the finely chopped garlic to the pan. Cook and constantly stir the garlic for about 2 minutes. Make sure to not let the garlic brown! Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool.
- Smash the Cucumbers: Cut the ends of the cucumbers and then smash each cucumber using the back of a cleaver or meat tenderizer. Smashing the cucumber is a classic Chinese technique which helps create more surface area on the cucumber to soak up the dressing. Then cut the cucumbers on a diagonal into 1″ long bite-size pieces.
- Make the Dressing: Add the garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce, salt and MSG to the bowl with cucumbers. Mix well with a spoon or your hands. Transfer the cucumbers to a salad bowl.
- Garnish: I like to garnish this cucumber salad with scallions, toasted sesame seeds and Chinese chili sauce. I used Momofuku’s Chili Crunch for this cucumber salad.
Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 seedless cucumbers English or 8 mini cucumbers
- 4 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 3 tbsp neutral oil avocado or canola oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/8 tsp MSG optional
- 1 scallion green parts chopped (garnish)
- toasted sesame seed garnish
- chilli oil garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and the finely chopped garlic to the pan. Cook and constantly stir the garlic for about 2 minutes. Make sure to not let the garlic brown! Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool.
- Cut the ends of the cucumbers and then smash each cucumber using the back of a cleaver or meat tenderizer. Then cut the cucumbers on a diagonal into 1" long bite-size pieces. Transfer the cucumbers to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce, salt and MSG to the bowl with cucumbers. Mix well with a spoon or using your hands. Transfer the cucumbers to a salad bowl and garnish with scallions, sesame seeds and Chinese chili sauce (optional). Serve immediately. Enjoy!
