Asian Cucumber Salad: A Viral TikTok Recipe with Sweet-Salty Dressing
By Emma Collins
Prep
5 min
Total
13 min
Servings
5
Level
Easy
This TikTok Asian cucumber salad delivers a must-try experience for your meal prep lineup, featuring crisp spiral cucumbers tossed in a sweet-salty dressing with a spicy kick. The recipe is quick to prepare. It works well for a refreshing side dish that holds up well in the fridge, which means you can enjoy it over several days.
The main ingredients are with cucumbers, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil, allowing for a balance of flavors. Salting the cucumbers not only improves their crunchiness but also infuses the dressing, thereby contributing to the depth as well as texture.
During preparation, the key cue for success is the crunchiness of the cucumbers after salting. This texture helps to avoid a limp salad. A common mistake is failing to rinse off the excess salt after salting. This oversight can lead to an overly salty dish. A simple tip is to let the salad rest for at least 10 minutes in the fridge to allow the flavors to blend.
Serve this delicious salad alongside your most favorite Asian dishes or as a vibrant and refreshing side. Leftovers can remain stored in an airtight container for as long as 4 days in the fridge, which makes it a convenient choice for a light yet refreshing meal throughout the week.
Why this recipe works
- Requires no cooking at all, so you can prepare it in just approximately 15 minutes, which is perfect for those busy weekdays or unexpected guests.
- The salad lasts in the fridge for up to 4 days, permitting you to batch it while enjoying it with multiple meals throughout the week.
- Accordion-cut cucumbers not only look impressive but also catch the savory marinade with elegance, improving each bite.
- Easy to scale up for a crowd by simply doubling or tripling the recipe while keeping the same ratios for delicious results.
- The marinade improves in flavor with decay when allowed to sit. This process makes leftovers taste just as fresh as the day it was made.
- Can be made ahead of time, allowing the cucumbers to soak up the flavors, making this salad into a great meal-prep option.
Ingredients
- •5 pieces cucumbers
- •3 tsp granulated white sugar
- •2 tsp sesame seeds
- •1 tsp garlic, crushed
- •2 to taste green onion, chopped (2 to 3 tbsp)
- •1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- •3 tsp rice vinegar
- •3 tsp chili oil
- •1 tsp sesame oil
- •3 tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Gather all the ingredients for the Asian cucumber salad viral hack.
- 2
In a bowl, mix the sugar, sesame seeds, crushed garlic, and chopped green onion.
- 3
Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- 4
Cut both ends of each cucumber.
- 5
Place the cucumber between a pair of chopsticks to hold it in place and keep the knife from slicing all the way through.
- 6
To create the iconic spiral shape, make diagonal cuts down the length of the cucumber.
- 7
Flip it over, then make straight cuts across the uncut side.
- 8
Repeat with all the cucumbers.
- 9
Place the cucumber spirals in a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
- 10
Gently massage the salt into the cucumbers and let them sit for 8 to 10 minutes.
- 11
Rinse the cucumbers under cold water to remove the excess salt, then quickly pat them dry.
- 12
Pour the marinade over the cucumbers and toss until evenly coated.
- 13
Enjoy your Asian cucumber salad!
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
91
Protein
4g
Fat
4g
Carbs
10g
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