I’ve been craving all kinds of fresh food this past week. Salads, grilled meat, fruit, oh and ice cream! I suppose ice cream really isn’t something you classify as fresh it’s kind of more of a frozen thing…duh. But I always crave ice cream and I could totally top it with fresh berries, so there, ice cream can now be considered fresh! Okay, enough of the tangent, I’m not off to a good start here. Let’s get right to it and talk about this FRESH and delicious Asian Cucumber Sesame Salad!
I love cucumbers! I love when they are crisp, crunchy, and slightly sweet. I prefer the Hothouse also referred to as English cucumbers much more than I do a regular cucumber. I’m not a big fan of all the seeds in regular cucumbers and usually end up scooping them all out. They also tend to not be as crisp and crunchy as the english cucumbers and when it comes to this Asian Cucumber Sesame Salad, only the crispest cucumbers will do.
Hothouse/English cucumbers are great because not only are they seedless, but the skin is edible as well. They don’t have that waxy coating like you find on the regular version. Another great thing about cucumbers is that they are loaded with water. 96% of a cucumber is water! This of course is a good thing because it helps fill you up and hydrate you at the same time.
When I think of cucumbers I think of warm weather (which will eventually stick around here in Colorado), picnics, and barbecues. This cucumber salad is perfect for those warm weather food gatherings. There’s nothing in this salad that can spoil so you don’t have to be as cautious with it as you would a mayo or yogurt filled salad.
This salad is so easy to make and doesn’t require many ingredients. The sesame and Asian flavors of the cucumber salad not only come from the toasted sesame seeds that are sprinkled on top, but also the dark sesame oil that is in the dressing. Sesame oil has a strong flavor so you don’t need to use very much of it. Along with the sesame oil in the dressing you will also find fresh grated ginger, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and a little bit of agave nectar for sweetness. I preferred to eat the salad the day I made it because that was when the cucumbers were most crisp. Since they are so full of water they tend to soften after sitting in the dressing. If you are one of the lucky ones already experiencing warm temperatures or if you just love cucumbers like I do, then make this Asian cucumber sesame salad and enjoy all the fresh flavors!
Yields 4 servings
A fresh cucumber salad full of Asian and sesame flavors!
25 minPrep Time
25 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 large English/Hothouse cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar (honey or sugar may also be used)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander and toss them with the 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt.
- Let the cucumbers sit in the colander in the sink for 15-30 minutes then rinse them off and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Place the cucumbers into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients then pour the dressing over the cucumbers and stir everything together.
- Top the salad with the toasted sesame seeds and green onion.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
This salad is best eaten the day it is made.
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