Smashed Cucumber Salad
In The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, from which this recipe is adapted, author Hannah Che tells us that this is one of the most ubiquitous Chinese starter dishes, and that at some restaurants they come topped with fried peanuts. “Everyone makes it differently,” she writes, “so feel free to adjust until it’s exactly the way you like it.” We loved it just as Che presented it — using Persian cukes, and choosing Chinkiang black vinegar over pale rice vinegar. Next time we’ll try the rice vinegar. Oh, with one slight modification — rather than making our own chile oil for it, we used some store-bought chile crisp we had in the fridge.
Serves 4 as an appetizer or side.
Ingredients
3-6 Persian cucumbers or 1 long hothouse cucumber (12 ounces / 340 grams total)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar or pale rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chile oil with some of the chile flake-sediment
Instructions
1. Trim off the ends of each cucumber. Lay one on the cutting board and smack it a few times with the flat side of a cleaver, knife blade or rolling pin until it splits into large pieces. Cut the split cucumber on the diagonal into 1/2-inch bite-sized pieces. (Repeat with the rest of the cucumbers, if using Persians.) Place the pieces in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly with the salt, then cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Drain off any water the cucumber has released. Add the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and chile oil and toss to coat, adjusting the seasonings to taste. Serve immediately or up to a couple hours later, or put them in a sealed container in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for up to a week.
Smashed Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3-6 Persian cucumbers or 1 long hothouse cucumber (12 ounces / 340 grams total)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar or pale rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chile oil with some of the chile flake-sediment
Instructions
- Trim off the ends of each cucumber. Lay one on the cutting board and smack it a few times with the flat side of a cleaver, knife blade or rolling pin until it splits into large pieces. Cut the split cucumber on the diagonal into 1/2-inch bite-sized pieces. (Repeat with the rest of the cucumbers, if using Persians.) Place the pieces in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly with the salt, then cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Drain off any water the cucumber has released. Add the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and chile oil and toss to coat, adjusting the seasonings to taste. Serve immediately or up to a couple hours later, or put them in a sealed container in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for up to a week.
