Spicy Ginger Sesame Cucumber Salad

This post is part of our restricted diet series from Beth of Tasty Yummies.

This easy-to-make salad is one of my favorite go-to summer sides. Now that the beautiful heirloom cucumbers in my garden are coming in strong, I have been enjoying this cool, crisp salad nearly every day. The many wonderful Asian-inspired flavors are all so perfectly well-balanced by the various fresh ingredients.

By allowing some of the liquid to drain off from the cucumbers, you can make this refreshing salad ahead of time, keep it chilled, and not lose any of the amazing crispy crunch of the cucumbers. The cucumbers in my garden are quite high in water compared to other varieties, so I find this step particularly important when I use them. I also really love this salad with Persian cucumbers, as they hold up super well and their flavor is incredible.

Serve this refreshing and light Asian inspired salad alongside some steamed rice and maybe a little freshly sliced avocado, maybe your favorite fish, if you eat it – no matter how you serve it or eat it, I can promise this salad will become a summer staple in your house, too!

spicy cucumber salad

Spicy Sesame Ginger Asian Cucumber Salad
serves 2 – 4

2 medium cucumbers, sliced thin into rounds or ribbons using a spiralizer or sharp knife
fine sea salt
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeño pepper (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Spicy Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce*
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey (or other sweetener)*
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch or two red chile flakes

Place the thinly sliced cucumbers into a colander and sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt, allow to sit while you prepare the other ingredients. (This is the so the water from the cucumbers doesn’t water-down the dressing).

While the cucumbers sit, make the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Once you are ready to assemble the salad rinse the cucumbers and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Transfer to a large salad bowl.

Add the red onions and the minced jalapeño, half of the sesame seeds and half of the cilantro. Pour the dressing over top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds and the remaining cilantro over top. Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!

*NOTES:
You can also use: gluten-free tamari, liquid aminos or coconut aminos
To make vegan, opt for sugar, agave or other sweetener

spicy cucumber salad

For more of Beth’s recipes visit her blog Tasty Yummies.

More healthy recipes from the BLDG 25 Blog.

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9 years ago

This looks amazing – totally making it tonight!

9 years ago

This sounds delicious! I am always looking for new veggie recipes for summer side dishes and this is perfect!

Lauren | http://www.livelovelauren.com

9 years ago
Esther
9 years ago

Asian-inspired? More like typical Asian side-dish that’s being Columbused in this article.

Kay
9 years ago

^ LOL I agree with you.

Olivia
9 years ago

Hello! Is there a technique that can be used to slice the cucumbers quickly? I just tried making this and i found slicing them without the spiralizer was very tedious.

scott
9 years ago

Just made this for lunch. A bit of work to make it come together, but was worth it. Real good! My Asian wife agreed.

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Roe
9 years ago

I just made this using my new spiralizer and it is AWESOME. I only tried a little bit before putting it in the fridge to marinate. I didn’t have any jalapeno so it won’t be spicy. I was going to try crushed red pepper but wasn’t sure if it would ruin the flavor. Also, I just happened to buy ginger root the other day. I never bought it before! So it was great that I had it on hand. Not sure it would be as good with ginger powder. Thanks for the recipe!

Heather
8 years ago

Great use of cucumbers but let’s not jump on the gluten-free bandwagon unless there are allergies involved. Gluten’s not bad, it’s just the fad of the moment.