Spicy Cucumber Salad | 5-Minutes Cucumber Side Dish

red chili flakes

🥗Healthier: fresh chili

💰Cheaper: black pepper

Fresh chili adds heat with fewer preservatives.

sesame oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Olive oil offers a healthier fat option.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: salt

Tamari is gluten-free while maintaining flavor.

rice vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar provides a fruity note.

Start preparing your delicious Cucumber Salad, by washing an English Cucumber and pat drying it. Cut it lengthwise into two halves and slice them diagonally thinly pieces. Set aside.

Slice half an Onion into thin juliennes and add them to a mixing bowl along with the sliced cucumbers.

For the dressing, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine light soy sauce, white vinegar, sesame oil, paprika powder, and chili flakes with some sugar. Give them a good mix to combine everything well.

Take 2 cloves of garlic, peel them, and using a sharp knife finely mince them, and add to the prepared dressing. Garlic will add pungency and a kick of flavor to the salad.

Once done with the dressing, drizzle it on top of the sliced cucumber and onions. Toss them well until every piece is well coated in the dressing.

Once mixed, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top to add crunchiness to the salad. Mix.

Serve immediately, or if you have some time in hand then let the salad rest for about 15-20 minutes inside the refrigerator, this will not only chill it but also allow the dressing to sink deep into the veggies, offering a burst of flavor with each bite.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens