This recipe for Asian cucumber salad is sliced cucumbers and colorful veggies tossed in a zesty sesame dressing. The perfect quick and easy side dish!
Marinated cucumber salad is a cool and refreshing complement to almost any meal. This Asian style cucumber salad utilizes soy sauce and sesame oil to bring lots of flavor without a lot of work.
Who doesn’t love cucumbers? They’re mildly flavored, super refreshing and are amazing in so many different dishes. This Asian cucumber salad is one of my family’s favorite sides, you can serve it alongside grilled chicken or fish and it makes the perfect picnic or potluck offering.
How to make Asian cucumber salad
The first step for this salad is to select your cucumbers. Typically there are three different types of cucumbers at the grocery store. You’ve got standard cucumbers, the long plastic wrapped English cucumbers, as well as those cute little Persian cucumbers.
You can use any of the three types of cucumbers here. I’ve used traditional cucumbers with the seeds removed. If you use English or Persian cucumbers you don’t need to remove the seeds as they tend to be smaller and softer than a traditional cucumber.
I run a vegetable peeler around each cucumber to make a striped pattern, which looks pretty and removes some of the waxy skin. The cucumbers are combined with red bell pepper and thinly sliced red onion to form the base of the salad.
The dressing is a simple combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and sesame oil and takes just minutes to put together. Add some herbs and sesame seeds, then toss and enjoy!
This Asian cucumber salad can be made a few hours in advance, but just be aware that the cucumbers will release liquid as they sit in the fridge, so your dressing might be a little thinner in consistency when it comes time to serve your salad.
This recipe is easily customizable, you can add other veggies like edamame, shredded carrots or snap peas, and change up the dressing by adding ginger, sriracha or hoisin sauce. So many possibilities!
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Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cucumbers peeled, seeded and sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or sliced green onion
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the cucumbers, red onion and red bell pepper in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, cilantro and sesame seeds. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by P.F. Chang’s Home Menu as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible. This post was originally published on January 11, 2017 and was updated on March 19, 2018 with new content.
Melinda says
This salad looks great! Can you sub sugar for honey?
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
laura says
Can you add radishes?
Sara says
Sure that would be fine!
Helen Cashin says
Made this salad to go with a whole side off hot chilli , garlic Salmon with sticky rice.
It was absolutely gorgeous , that dressing is to die for but I only put one tablespoon of soya sauce as my first batch was a little overpowering .
Already had two friends ask for recipe.
Debbie says
I used the dressing to marinate chicken breast and threw in the salad to make it more of a lunch/dinner. Yum
Julie says
This was delicious! I subbed shallot for the red onion and used both green onion (green parts only) and cilantro in the dressing. I also added some sriracha to give it a little kick. Served with Mongolian Beef from Home Chef . Can’t wait to eat the left overs today for lunch.
Florence says
Can’t sop making this easy salad that lasts for 2 days! Thanks
Deb says
Just delicious! Turns out it was still crisp and yummy the next day!
Diane says
This looks delicious. I’ve been asked to bring the “Asian salad” to a dinner party of couples who have recently returned from the Far East. The host is serving Pork Stir Fry. I have a go to Asian salad with cabbage and roman noodle, but I wanted to try something different. Would this go with Pork Stir Fry do you think? Is regular Sesame Oil fine to use? Do you toast the sesame seeds? thank you.
Sara says
This would go well with stir fry! I don’t toast the sesame seeds but you definitely can if you prefer.
Ellie says
I served this with Chicken Satay and steamed basmati rice. This salad was PERFECT! It was a little bit of summer! Thanks for the recipe!
Victoria says
Looks delicious! I have sesame oil at home/ is that the same as toasted sesame oil? Can I substitute or is there a way to “toast” my regular sesame oil? TIA!
Sara says
Your sesame oil should work fine!
B Myers says
Perfectly seasoned, and just as refreshing as the picture. Easy and quick recipe, keeps well. Leave out the cilantro if like me you can’t tolerate it.
Tiff says
Great recipe! Very tasty and a definite go to!
Nara says
Very tasty!
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Micheal Ronel says
Amazing salad idea with cucumber. Looks so healthy and delicious also. Will try it soon.
Tomi C says
Love the Asian spin on this. I may have to switch up my tomato cucumber salad with that tasty dressing recipe of yours. Yummy!
Anosa malanga says
Been doing cucumber salad before and its usually what I love doing this past few weeks. Adding it a twist from time to time as well. Really one of my healthy foods nowadays.
Wildish Jess says
I don’t do cucumbers but man. This salad looks ridiculously fresh and healthy!
Alison Rost says
I love cucumbers because they absorb flavor really well and they go perfectly with different sauces. I think this salad is a keeper especially since it’s refreshing. It can be enjoyed during Spring and Summer and it’s something that I’d make often!