Easy Chinese Cucumber Salad Recipe (Smashed, Spicy & Garlicky)
Crispy and light in flavor this smash of Chinese cucumber salad ranks among my most-loved appetizers and food items to serve as a side dish during dinner. It's simple to prepare and can last for a few days in the refrigerator too.
Equipment
- Strainer
- mallet, rolling pin, or meat tenderizer
Ingredients
- 220g persian cukes (each one weighs around 55 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp chinkiang black vinegar
- 3/4 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Clean your cucumbers in running water, then cut the ends off. Place them on the top of a dish towel placed on your counter. Put a dish towel over the cucumbers so that they are covered.
- Use mallets or rolling pins to crush the cucumbers. You should smash them until they crack and break however, the cucumber remains intact in one piece. Make use of a knife to break the smashed pieces down into pieces of about 1/2 inch to make eating them easier.
- Put all the cucumbers in an unlit bowl. Sprinkle with salt in the most evenly you can to ensure that all cucumbers are covered in salt. Be careful in this step because even when mixing the salt, some will remain on the cucumber where you originally sprinkled it. Mix the cucumbers thoroughly and allow the mixture to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Put the cucumbers in a strainer . Run through the cucumbers with water to get rid of any salt.
- Make use of your fingers to squeeze the excess water from the cucumbers. You'll want to get rid of as much water as you can so that the cucumber can absorb all the dressing without crushing the cucumbers.
- In a different bowl, mix the black vinegar chinkiang, sesame oil, sugar and soy sauce. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Mix the dressing in with the cucumber, and ensure that all cucumbers are covered by the dressing.
- Serve right away or put in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to get the experience of having a cucumber salad that is colder.