Chinese smashed cucumber salad is easy to make, light, and refreshing - perfect for warm summer days. This recipe provides the perfect zing from chili oil and garlic, balanced with vinegar, slightly sweet soy sauce, and sesame oil.
There are numerous varieties of Chinese smashed cucumber salad, each with their unique twists. Smashed cucumber salad is quick and easy and is often served at restaurants and in homes alike. Fresh cucumbers are the perfect accompaniment to kung pao tofu (gong bao doufu) or dan dan noodles and can be made in a matter of minutes.
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Considerations for picking the best cucumbers
Since cucumbers are the star of the show, picking the best variety is important. Varieties that are small and delicate, with thin skin and almost no seeds are best - Persian cucumbers fit the bill. English cucumbers are a good alternative since they also have less seeds and thinner skin. Garden cucumbers, common in North America, are not the best alternative since they have more seeds and thick dark green skin. If you need to use garden cucumbers, peel them, and then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Ingredients
Gather all ingredients before starting.
- 14 ounces cucumbers - small, thin skinned, and nearly seedless varieties, such as Persian Cucumbers, are best. English cucumbers are a good alternative since they also have less seeds and thinner skin.
- ½ teaspoon salt - for pre-salting the cucumbers to remove excess liquid (optional)
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar – we used either Zhenjiang vinegar, which can be bought at your local Asian market or Amazon, or Baoning vinegar from Sichuan Province which can be bought at the Mala Market.
- 1.5 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon crush or very finely minced garlic (optional, if you do not like raw garlic – we load it on)
- 1 tablespoon chili oil with sediment (to tastes, depending on your tolerance for spicy flavors)
- ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
Wash and then cut the tips off the cucumbers. Use a Chinese cleaver, or a rolling pin, to smash each cucumber. Use just enough force to cause splitting in the center and edges of the cucumber. You are using too much force if seeds and juice splatter vigorously across your cutting board.
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then slice them diagonally into approximately ¼-to-⅓-inch slices.
Add the cucumber slices to a bowl and sprinkle with a ½ teaspoon of salt and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 20 minutes and then drain excess liquid from the bowl. Adding salt draws out excess water in the cucumbers so the dressing does not become too watery and diluted.
Finely chop or mince the garlic (the amount of garlic and chili oil can be adjusted to taste). Mix all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl.
Pour the sauce over the cucumbers and then serve. Warning, these are addictive and can disappear fast.
Substitutions and Variations
- Potato slivers – cold dishes, often labeled as salads in the West, can be made with an almost infinite number of vegetables. The dressing used in our smashed cucumber salad works equally as well on blanched yellow potato slivers. Just follow the instructions in our Chinese potato sliver salad to blanch the potatoes.
- Vinegar – rice vinegar can be substituted if you do not have Chinese black vinegar (or just to make a different variety). Rice vinegar has a fresh lighter flavor and is sometimes used in Chinese cucumber salads.
- Garlic – if you are not a fan of raw garlic you can simply leave it out. The cucumbers salad will still taste amazing and fresh accompanying any dish.
- Chili oil – adjust chili oil to your taste. We tend to use a lot of chili oil and our homemade chili oil includes Sichuan numbing peppers for an extra kick!
Equipment
- Chinese cleaver for smashing the cucumbers (alternatively you can use a rolling pin).
Storage
While you can store dressed cucumbers for up to two days in the refrigerator, we do not recommend it. After the cucumbers have been dressed they are best eaten right away. Also, be aware that the garlic flavor will become more pronounced if the cucumbers are left to marinate in the dressing. In our opinion, raw garlic is best eaten as soon as possible after crushing or mincing.
📖 Recipe
Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 14 ounces cucumbers small thin skinned, and nearly seedless varieties, such as Persian Cucumbers, are best. English cucumbers are a good alternative since they also have less seeds and thinner skin.
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional) for pre-salting the cucumbers to remove excess liquid
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar we used either Zhenjiang vinegar which can be bought at your local Asian market or Amazon, or Baoning vinegar from Sichuan Province which can be bought online at the Mala Market.
- 1.5 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon crush or very finely minced garlic optional if you do not like raw garlic – we load it on!
- 1 tablespoon chili oil with sediment to tastes, depending on your tolerance for spicy flavors
- ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil Chinese or Japanese varieties
Instructions
- Wash and then cut the tips off the cucumbers. Use a Chinese cleaver, or a rolling pin, to smash each cucumber. Use just enough force to cause splitting in the center and edges of the cucumber. You are using too much force it seeds and juice splatter vigorously across your cutting board.14 ounces cucumbers
- Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then slice them diagonally into approximately ¼-to-⅓-inch slices.14 ounces cucumbers
- Add the cucumber slices to a bowl and sprinkle with a ½ teaspoon of salt and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 20 minutes and then drain excess liquid from the bowl. Adding salt draws out excess water in the cucumbers so that the dressing does not become too watery and diluted.14 ounces cucumbers, ½ teaspoon salt
- Finely chop or mince the garlic. The amount of garlic and chili oil can be adjusted to taste. Mix all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the cucumbers and then serve. Warning, these are addictive and can disappear fast.1.5 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, 1.5 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon chili oil with sediment, ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon crush or very finely minced garlic
Nutrition
Nutrition disclaimer
malaeats.com is created for informational purposes only. Although we do our best to provide nutritional information to our readers as a general guideline, we are not certified nutritionists and the nutritional values provided should be considered estimates. Numerous factors such as variations in fresh ingredients, brands purchased, etc. will alter the nutritional values in any recipe. Different online calculators also provide different results depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, please use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities you used.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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