Asian Cucumber Salad

Asian cucumber salad is light and refreshing, featuring thinly sliced English cucumbers, bell peppers, green onions, and sesame ginger dressing. It's ready in 10 minutes and great to make ahead to let the cucumbers marinate.
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Asian cucumber salad mixed with dressing in a serving bowl.

Cucumber salad is a must-make summer recipe! It’s a very simple salad recipe but it packs a lot of great flavor. Cucumbers, bell peppers, and green onions are all light, crunchy, and juicy but my favorite part here is the simple sesame ginger dressing they are mixed in.

What makes this recipe different from other cucumber salads is the depth of flavor in the Asian dressing. Instead of a basic vinegar-sugar mix, this one layers nuttiness from toasted sesame oil, a hint of sweetness from honey, and fresh aromatics of ginger and garlic for a balanced and flavorful bite.

It’s quick to make, doesn’t require cooking, and holds up well—perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or easy weeknight meals.

Labeled ingredients for Asian cucumber salad on a wood surface.

Ingredient Notes and Tips

  • Cucumbers – it’s best to use English cucumbers. They have a thin skin so you don’t need to peel them. This way, you will get the best and strongest flavor with all of the nutrients still present. (Since all the nutrients in the cucumber are stored in the skin and seeds, when you peel the cucumber, you discard most of the nutrients.)
  • Rice Vinegar – rice vinegar is prefer to use in dishes with Asian flavors but if you must substitute, you can use white wine vinegar.
  • Sesame Oil – remember that sesame seed oil is very potent! So start with a couple of teaspoons and taste the dressing. If you wish to have a stronger sesame flavor, add another teaspoon or so. (If you love sesame flavors, make my sesame chicken thighs, you won’t regret it!)
sliced cucumbers in a mandoline slicer and sesame ginger dressing in a measuring cup with a metal whisk on a wood surface.

How To Make Asian Cucumber Salad

  1. Wash the cucumbers, dry them, and slice them thin.
  2. Add the remaining non-dressing ingredients to the bowl.
  3. Whisk the ingredients for the Asian dressing and mix the dressing in with the vegetables.
  4. It’s best to refrigerate this cucumber salad for a couple of hours before serving.
Asian cucumber salad in a serving bowl on a wood surface.

Should Cucumbers Be Peeled For A Salad?

You can, but when using an English cucumber, you really don’t have to. Skin on the English cucumbers is very thin and easy to eat. It’s also best to leave the skin on since that is where the majority of the nutrients are stored.

Another reason to keep cucumber skin on if for stability. If you peel it, the cucumbers will tear faster and you won’t be able to store the salad for long before it bets too soft and mushy.

Asian cucumber salad in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

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Asian cucumber salad mixed with dressing in a serving bowl.

Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe

Asian cucumber salad is light and refreshing, featuring thinly sliced English cucumbers, bell peppers, green onions, and sesame ginger dressing. It's ready in 10 minutes and great to make ahead to let the cucumbers marinate.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinate time:: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 About 3 cups
Calories: 63kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2 large English cucumbers
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped green onion
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing:

  • 2 garlic cloves pressed
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce*
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Wash the cucumber with cold water and gently pat them dry with a paper towel. 
    Slice them thinly with a mandoline slicer, if you have one (if you don't have a holder for mandoline slicer, use cut resistant gloves), or a sharp knife.
  • Slice bell pepper thinly and chop green onions. Add the veggies to a large mixing bowl. Add the sesame seeds as well.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the Asian dressing.
  • Pour the dressing into the mixing bowl with the veggies and gently mix everything until evenly combined.
  • While you can certainly serve this cucumber salad right away, I highly recommend that you chill the salad in the refrigerator for about an hour or two before serving to let the ingredients marinate.

Notes

  • *Gluten free note: to make this cucumber salad gluten free, make sure to use gluten free soy sauce. Remaining ingredients should already be gluten free, but double check the labels to make sure. 
  • To cut the cucumbers – It’s best to use a mandoline slicer. A mandoline slicer works best because you will be done cutting in no time and all the slices will be thin and the same size. (If you don’t have a holder for your mandoline slicer, use cut resistant gloves.)
  • Storing – store any leftover cucumber salad in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator for about 1-2 days. After that, the cucumbers will just be too soft and mushy.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles or tag #willcookforsmiles!

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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in March 2015.

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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

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4 Comments

  1. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says:

    The salad looks great — it is perfect for balmy Florida weather — unfortunately in three more days we’ll be plunged back into the cold northern clime. 🙁 Well, spring should be just around the corner and your salad recipes will be pinned and waiting. Great photos!!

    1. Great! I hope you will have nice last three day, it’s nothing but rain all week here.
      Hope you’ll like the salad, Marisa 🙂

  2. Karen @ The Food Charlatan says:

    Lyuba this salad looks awesome! Love the bell pepper in there, so pretty. Sesame is such a great subtle flavor. I’m definitely ready for spring!

    1. Thank you, Karen 😀 !

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