Tangy and sweet, this Asian cucumber salad is not shy in the flavor department. Seasoned with rice vinegar, sesame seeds, garlic and honey, this refreshing salad is perfect for any occasion.
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Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad Recipe
Add some freshness to your plate with this delicious twist on a classic cucumber salad recipe. Perfect to serve as a side dish with your favorite mains, this is tasty way to enjoy your veggies.
Light and refreshing and tossed in a sweet and tangy dressing, there’s no bad time to enjoy this!
Be sure to try my Creamy Pea Salad and Quinoa Salad too!
Why you’ll love this Easy Asian Cucumber Salad recipe:
Simple to make but so delicious to eat, this salad is wonderfully fresh and perfect to enjoy with your favorite dishes.
How to make Asian Cucumber Salad with the best Dressing
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Slice the cucumbers.
- Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt and allow them to drain.
- Rinse off the salt and pat dry.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
- Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
- Pour over the dressing, toss and sprinkle over sesame seeds to serve.
This salad is best served as soon as it’s ready so that the cucumbers are nice and fresh. If you do have leftovers they will keep well for a day or two, but you may need to drain any excess water from the bowl to serve.
I like to add a little diced red chili to this salad for a bit of heat. If you are sensitive to spicy foods, you can omit this. Or, add a little more if you like things hot!
I use honey to naturally sweeten the Asian dressing. To make this salad vegan, you can simply swap this with maple syrup.
A mandolin is the quickest way to slice the cucumber really thinly. You can do it by hand with a knife, but get the slices as thin as you can.
Serving Suggestions
This Asian cucumber salad is perfect to enjoy in the summer months, but it really is great all year round. Serve it up as a side with some of these favorites:
This salad is a quick and easy way to add some freshness and flavor to any plate!
Tips!
- Don’t skip salting the cucumbers. If you do, the excess water will pool in the bottom of your serving bowl.
- Slice the red onion as finely as you can so that it’s not too overpowering.
- Keep refrigerated before serving.
- Make this a fuller meal by stirring in some cooked shredded chicken.
If you love Asian food, you are going to adore this cucumber salad recipe. Full of flavor, but so simple!
More Cucumber Recipes to Try
This Asian cucumber salad is one delicious side dish recipe. Perfect to enjoy in the warmer weather, it’s a great addition to a pot luck or cookout.
More Easy Salad Recipes we Love
- Grilled Peach Salad
- Cobb Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- German Potato Salad
- Air Fryer Egg Salad
- Cheesy Broccoli Salad
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cucumbers thinly sliced
- 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ chile pepper finely chopped
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumber and place them in a colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, then set aside to drain for 1 hour.4 cups cucumbers, 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- Rinse remaining salt off cucumbers under cold water, then pat dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and remaining kosher salt.3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 clove garlic
- In a large bowl, place drained cucumbers, onion, cilantro, chile pepper, and scallions.4 cups cucumbers, ½ cup red onion, ¼ cup cilantro, ½ chile pepper, 2 scallions
- Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Becky’s Tips
- Don’t skip salting the cucumbers. If you do, the excess water will pool in the bottom of your serving bowl.
- Slice the red onion as finely as you can so that it’s not too overpowering.
- Keep refrigerated before serving.
- Make this a fuller meal by stirring in some cooked shredded chicken.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
Everyone loved it! Made it as a side with the Chicken Lo Mein Recipe which was excellent also.
What a great combo!
In list of ingredients you list 2 1/4 salt to be divided. However, you in mention 2 1/4 in both step 1 and 3. Which is it?
Use 2 teaspoons of salt in step 1 and the remaining ¼ teaspoon in step 3! The ingredient list under each step automatically shows the entire ingredient, unfortunately.
These are the leftovers for later! Super tasty and I will for sure make this again soon. 🤤 😋
Looks amazing!
Pretty and fun to make! Added sugar snap peas for extra Spring appeal!
Looks delicious!!