Name: Asian Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 medium cucumbers (sliced thin (about 20 ounces)); 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons sesame oil; 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 garlic clove (minced); 2 teaspoons minced ginger; 1/4 cup cilantro; 2 green onions (sliced); 1 red jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed, and cut small (read more about red jalapenos here))

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This easy Asian Cucumber Salad is the perfect side dish for so many recipes. Make it to go next to a chicken and rice dish or for the next time you bring home sushi.

bowl of asian cucumber salad garnished with cilantro and extra slices of red jalapeño

The other day I got a message from a reader who had seen my Creamy Cucumber Salad. He told me about his booming cucumber crop and asked if I had any other great cucumber recipes. I could eat endless amounts of cucumbers, and I’m so happy to share another great salad with you.

It seems like no matter what meal I’m having, I’d love to have a salad to go on the side. In fact, more often than not when out with Nathan, I will order a salad appetizer that is meant to share, and hog the whole thing.

This Asian Cucumber Salad tastes like something you would order out, but is so simple to make at home. Made with delicious ingredients that pull the ingredients together, this salad recipe is a homerun. Share it with the people you love, but I won’t judge you if you hog it.

Ingredients

This recipe does require a few ingredients that you may not have on hand. I’ll be sure to give you some other ideas to use them up.

Cucumbers
Rice Wine Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Sugar
Garlic
Ginger
Cilantro
Green Onions
Red Jalapeno

overhead of a mixing bowl full of the ingredients to make asian cucumber salad

Types of Cucumber

Let’s talk about types of cucumbers, because there are lots out there. There are three main types of cucumbers that can be broken down into more categories: Slicing, Pickling, and Seedless.

Obviously, for this salad we want to steer clear of pickling cucumbers. Beyond that, you can really use whatever type you like most. I would suggest that what is more important is that you use a thinner cucumber, because those smaller pieces will be better for this salad.

Rice Wine Vinegar

Vinegar is a main ingredient in any salad since it is such a great base for a salad dressing. This is also true here, but we are using Rice Wine Vinegar. It lends a unique flavor that I think you will love in this dressing.

You can also use it in my Chicken Lettuce Wraps or my Teriyaki Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner. Both of those would go great with this salad too!

In a pinch, you could use white vinegar in this recipe, though I think you should really try it with Rice Wine Vinegar.

Sesame Oil

The Sesame Oil is another thing that really gives this recipe great flavor. It will keep in your pantry for a long time, so I suggest investing in a bottle.

It is also great in my easy Chicken Fried Rice and Edamame Salad. I do not recommend replacing it with a different oil for this recipe.

overhead of a bowl of asian cucumber salad made with thinly sliced cucumbers

Spiciness

This recipe gets a little kick from the red jalapeno that you add. A red jalapeño is just a green jalapeno that has been left to ripen longer on the plant. This means if you are growing jalapeños, you can get a red jalapeño from your own garden.

Red jalapeños tend to be a little spicier than green jalapeños. That said, they don’t make this salad overly spicy. If you can’t find a red jalapeño, you could substitute it with green.

Making Ahead

I don’t recommend making this salad ahead of time. The water from the cucumbers will make the dressing very thin. Given how quick it is, I would suggest making it right before serving.