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Home » Salad

Published: Jun 15, 2020 · Modified: Jan 20, 2025 by Kathy

Asian Cucumber Salad

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A small bowl filled with sliced cucumbers and onions.

Asian cucumber salad is a quick, easy and delicious spicy cucumber salad that can be pulled together in less than 10 minutes. Eat right away or let marinate and eat later.

A glass bowl filled with cucumbers and onions.

A delicious fresh cucumber salad

Cucumber and onions salad is a classic that appears regularly on our table during the summertime.

This version is made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds. There's also crushed red pepper flakes to give it a little kick.

It's not really spicy, but you can taste the heat. If your family is not a fan of spice, just cut back the amount to your liking.

Make this quick salad in no time at all. It's perfect for last minute when you need just one more tasty dish to add to the table.

Key ingredients

An English cucumber sliced on a cutting board with a red onion on the board too.
  • English cucumbers - a regular cucumber can also be used. Just scoop the seeds out of a regular cucumber before slicing.
  • Red onion - you could also use a sweet white onion
  • Red pepper flakes - adds a bit of kick

To make cucumber salad

  • Slice the cucumbers
  • Slice the onions
  • In a small container combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and crushed red pepper. Stir to combine
  • Pour dressing over cucumbers and gently stir to coat the cucumbers
  • Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve or cover and refrigerate to let the cucumbers marinate

If you refrigerate this salad before eating, the cucumbers will release some of their liquids and you will end up with more sauce. This does not affect the quality of the salad. You can drain before serving or just leave it at the bottom of the bowl.

A glass bowl filled with sliced cucumbers and red onions.

Toasted sesame seeds

Toasted sesame seeds are added to the salad just before serving. You can buy seeds already toasted, or save some money and toast your own. The toasted seeds add a lot of flavor to this salad.

Place the seeds in a small non-stick pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Make certain you stir often and don't leave the pan! These go from done to burnt in almost no time at all! As soon as they start to brown a little, remove the heat and from the pan.

Recipe Faqs

How long will this salad last?

Asian cucumber salad is best eaten the same day it's made. I have eaten it the day after and it's still good. It's just at its best the same day it is made.

Is it safe to eat the cucumber peel?

Yes, the cucumber peel is safe to eat and offers great color and bite to the salad. Wash your cucumber prior to slicing to remove any contaminants.

You can always peel the cucumber if you prefer.

Serving suggestions

Serve with grilled flank steak, BBQ chicken thighs or almond crusted fish.

Asian Cucumber salad with red onions.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

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A glass bowl filled with cucumbers and onions.

Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe

Kathy Berget
Fresh cucumbers and onions with a spicy Asian dressing
5 from 22 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 105 kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
 
 

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salad

  • 4 cups English cucumbers (sliced)
  • 1 cup red onion (sliced)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted)

Instructions
 

Dressing

  • Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey and red pepper
    2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 3 teaspoons sesame oil
  • Shake or stir to combine

Salad

  • Add cucumber and onions to a large bowl
    4 cups English cucumbers, 1 cup red onion
  • Pour dressing over cucumbers and onions
  • Toss lightly
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds
    2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • Toss lightly and serve or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Notes

To toast sesame seeds:
  • Place the seeds in a small non-stick pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Make certain you stir often and don't leave the pan! These go from done to burnt in almost no time at all! As soon as they start to brown a little, remove the heat and from the pan.
Tips:
  • Can substitute regular cucumbers for the English cucumbers. Peel and seed regular cucumbers if using. 
  • Reduce red pepper flakes if you prefer a milder taste.
  • If you refrigerate this salad before eating, the cucumbers will release some of their liquids and you will end up with more sauce. This does not affect the quality of the salad. You can drain before serving or just leave it at the bottom of the bowl.
 
 

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 515mgPotassium: 259mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 257IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Allison says

    August 12, 2022 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    I love Asian flavors and this did not disappoint!!! I didn’t have cucumbers so I used zucchini and served it with pan seared tuna steaks. I’ll be making this again!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 13, 2022 at 6:19 am

      Hi Allison,
      Thanks so much! Using zucchini is a great idea! I have so many in my garden right now that I need to use up!
      Thank you,
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  2. David @ Spiced says

    June 16, 2020 at 5:19 am

    5 stars
    I really enjoy a good cucumber salad on a hot summer day. The bright flavor goes so well with grilled food! I'm digging the Asian twist here, Kathy. This sounds like a mighty tasty salad, and I could certainly go for a bowl of this today!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 16, 2020 at 6:10 am

      It's perfect with summer grilling! Enjoy

      Reply
  3. Alex says

    June 15, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    5 stars
    Love cucumber salads - and this dressing sounds delicious. Love the flavours, and same as Dawn, huge sesame oil fan! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 16, 2020 at 6:10 am

      Thanks, Alex 🙂

      Reply
  4. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    June 15, 2020 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    I love cucumber salad and I especially love the flavours that you've added here. Sesame oil is one of my fave ingredients! Wish I had a big heaping of this for lunch today 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 16, 2020 at 6:09 am

      The sesame oil packs a ton of flavor.

      Reply
5 from 22 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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I'm Kathy, and I love to create delicious recipes from scratch utilizing many ingredients that we grow and raise. I'm a recipe creator, food photographer, and cookbook author!

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