This Asian Cucumber Salad is the best of a few words: it’s quick and easy, healthy, AND delicious. Plus, it’s paleo and low carb!

Whether you’re looking for a new, light summer side dish or a light meal that can be made ahead of time, this salad is the perfect addition to any meal.

This salad is so fresh; it’s like a breath of fresh air. It’s so light; it’s like a cloud touching down on your tongue. It’s so simple to make; you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried it before. It’s so versatile you can serve it as a side dish or main meal. And it keeps well in the refrigerator just as well as it tastes freshly made. It’s — Asian Cucumber Salad! And it tastes best when made with juicy, freshly picked cucumbers straight from the garden.

This salad is the best side dish! It has a sweet and sour dressing that is just amazing. It tastes like an Asian salad, but without all of the heavy fat and calories. I love to make this side dish because of its freshness and lightness. The cucumber slices are crunchy, and the dressing is garlicky, spicy, savory, and delicious. This salad only takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and it makes a great side dish for any meal!

See, Cucumber Tomato And Avocado Salad and Vegan Italian Pasta Salad

What Is Sunomono (Asian Cucumber Salad)?

Sunomono, often known as Japanese cucumber salad, is quite similar to Asian cucumber salad. Asian cucumber salad comes in a variety of flavors, but the “dressing” is usually made out of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.

This cucumber salad dish uses Bragg’s liquid aminos and garlic. And it uses aromatic sesame oil. There are also a few tasty extras that give this Japanese salad a vibrant, fresh flavor!

Why Will You Enjoy This Simple Cucumber Salad Recipe?

Quick and simple! This recipe is super simple to prepare and only takes 10-15 minutes to complete!

Healthy: This cucumber salad is packed with nutritious, good-for-you ingredients! Delicious: This salad is brimming with vibrant, fresh flavors! Believe me when I say that eating healthily has never tasted so fantastic!!

Crowd-pleaser: The cucumber salad is so simple that everyone always wants to have more and more of it again.

Versatile: This salad is so versatile that it goes with just about anything, from grilled meats, fish, and poultry to your favorite Asian cuisines!

Keto-friendly: Asian Cucumber Salad is the perfect low-carb salad for keto dieters.

How to Prepare Asian Cucumber Salad?

To prepare this salad, you’ll require the following ingredients and steps to follow:

ingredients for Asian salad on a wooden cutting board

Ingredients

  • Cucumber 
  • Salt
  • Red onion
  • Green onion 
  • Cilantro
  • Sesame seed
  • Avocado (optional)

Dressing

  • Lemon juice
  • Maple syrup
  • Sesame oil
  • Bragg’s liquid aminos
  • Garlic
cucumber slices with mandoline slicer

Directions

  1. Thinly slice cucumber, about 1/8 of an inch thickness using a sharp knife or Mandoline slicer. Place cucumber in a large bowl, add salt, and toss. Set aside.
  2. In the meantime, combine lemon juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, Bragg’s liquid aminos, and garlic, and mix well.
  3. Drain liquid from cucumber, add red onion, green onion, crushed peanuts, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
  4. Toss with the dressing. Keep refrigerated.

Expert Tips

  • Mini cucumbers are ideal for cucumber salad since they do not become mushy like regular cucumbers. (The type of cucumber you use can affect how watery your cucumber salad is.)
  • Chill the cucumber to achieve the optimum results.
  • Scoring the cucumbers with the tines of a fork prior to slicing helps the dressing to adhere to the cucumbers, enhancing the flavor of each bite!
  • Salt the cucumbers and put them in a strainer for at least 15-20 minutes if you have time. Pre-salting the cucumber helps it release fluids, which results in a more delicious salad because the dressing isn’t watered down as much. If you’re in a rush, you can obviously skip this.
  • Chop your herbs delicately. I’ve used cilantro and scallions here, but feel free to experiment with chives or even Thai basil!
  • Make sure to use fresh garlic, which can be found in any grocery store’s produce section. I always keep garlic in the fridge to ensure that we always have it on hand. To grate the garlic, I use a Microplane. If you don’t have a Microplane, finely mince it instead.
  • If you like some extra spiciness, you can add crushed red pepper flakes.

Variations On Cucumber Salad

Let us know if you have any ideas for changes or additions. Wonderful – I invite you to personalize this recipe! Get inventive or simply leave out the components you don’t care for and replace them with ones you do! To get you started, here are a few simple ideas!

Cucumbers: I like English cucumbers. But If English cucumbers are unavailable, Persian cucumbers or tiny cucumbers can be used.

Ginger: If you like ginger, try grated ginger in your salad dressing for a great dose of warm, welcome taste!

Spice: If you want your food hot and spicy, consider using cayenne, ghost pepper, or sriracha.

Sweetener: Have you just realized you’re out of maple syrup? No worries — agave nectar or granulated sugar will suffice!

Soy sauce: To add a hint of salty, umami flavor to the dressing, I often add a spoonful of low-sodium soy sauce.

How To Store Leftovers?

The leftovers can be kept for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. Before serving, gently toss them together.

Can I Freeze Asian Cucumber Salad?

I do not suggest freezing cucumbers. They will become mushy due to their high water content.

Can I Make The Dressing In Advance?

Yes! The dressing can be made up to a day ahead of time. Refrigerate after preparing.

What Dishes Should Be Served With This Recipe?

Asian Cucumber Salad can go with any Asian dishes. I suggest the following recipes for a healthy supper and a quick weeknight dinner.

Black Bean Burritos

Curry Cabbage

General Tso Chickpeas

Air Fryer Frozen Burger

Pumpkin Curry

Vegan Curried Tofu Skin

Vegan Baked Ziti

Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

What Cucumbers Should I Use?

Use burpless cucumbers with thin skins, such as Persian, Turkish, or English cucumbers, for the finest flavor and least bitterness. In a pinch, waxy cucumbers will work, but you’ll have to peel them first.

Are Cucumbers Healthy For You?

Cucumbers are a healthy, refreshing, and adaptable complement to any diet. Cucumbers are a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, and low-sodium food! They’re also high in vitamins and nutrients! Cucumbers are high in vitamins A, C, and K and magnesium, potassium, and manganese. Cucumbers can also aid calcium absorption because they are a natural diuretic. 

According to test-tube and animal studies, cucumbers may help decrease blood sugar and avoid diabetes-related problems, though further research is needed.

Cucumbers are high in fiber and water, which can help avoid constipation and improve regularity. Cucumbers contain about 96 percent water, which can help you stay hydrated and satisfy your daily fluid requirements.

Cucumbers come in two varieties: fresh and pickled. They can be eaten as a low-calorie treat or used in a variety of foods to add taste. Cucumbers should be eaten with the peel on to get the most nutrients.

What Is The Definition Of An English Cucumber?

English cucumbers are long cucumbers that come in plastic to keep their skin from getting waxed. They have fewer seeds, are tougher, and are less watery than normal cucumbers.

However, if English cucumbers are unavailable, normal cucumbers will suffice.

Are Cucumbers Peeled Before Salad Preparation?

Cucumber peeling is not always necessary, and this is determined by the type of cucumber you’re using.

Cucumbers from Japan, England, and Iran have thin skins that don’t need to be peeled. Because the skin on Classic Kirby cucumbers is thicker and tougher, it must be peeled and discarded.

Cucumber skin is an excellent source of vitamin A and fiber! I prefer using Japanese, English, or Persian cucumbers because they have a great crunch, and the peel can be left on!

What Is Bragg’s Liquid Aminos?

It is a soy-based seasoning sauce prepared with purified water. The Non-GMO Project verifies that all soybeans used in the production of Bragg are non-GMO. There are no chemicals, artificial colors, or preservatives in Bragg Liquid Aminos.

Which Onion Should I Choose?

Red onions are not only beautiful to look at, but they are also delicious raw. If you don’t have a red onion on hand, you can substitute a white onion, but the onion flavor will be stronger. It is not advisable to use a yellow onion.

Other Cucumber Recipes To Prepare

  1. Cucumber Lemon Water
  2. Cucumber Avocado Salad
  3. Jicama Cucumber Salad
  4. Detox Water With Cucumber
  5. Watermelon Salad With Cucumber And Basil
Asian Cucumber salad recipe in white bowl

Thanks for reading this blog post on Asian Cucumber Salad. I hope it has inspired you to try out a new dish. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below. And if you tried this recipe or any other from our site, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below! Thanks for visiting my Recipes, and I hope to see you again soon.

 

Categories

Nutrition

(Per serving)
  • Energy: 106 kcal / 443 kJ
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Carbs: 9.1 g

Cook Time

  • Preparation: 10 min
  • Ready in: 10 min
  • For: 4 Servings

Ingredients

Dressing

Instructions

  1. Thinly slice cucumber, about 1/8 of an inch thickness using a sharp knife or Mandoline slicer. Place cucumber in a large bowl, add salt, and toss. Set aside.
  2. In the meantime, combine lemon juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, Bragg's liquid aminos, garlic, and mix well.
  3. Drain liquid from cucumber, add red onion, green onion, avocado.
  4. Toss with the dressing. Keep refrigerated.
  5. Garnish with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Recipe author's Gravatar image

Michelle Blackwood, RN

Hi, I’m Michelle, I’m the voice, content creator and photographer behind Healthier Steps. I share vegan and gluten-free recipes because of past health issues. My goal is to help you make healthier choices and show you how healthy eating is easy and delicious.