Chinese Cucumber Salad | Morsels of Life

Chinese Cucumber Salad

Refreshingly cool and savory cucumbers flavored with sesame and just a bit of chili pepper flakes.

Morsels of Life - Chinese Cucumber Salad - Refreshingly cool and savory cucumbers flavored with sesame and just a bit of chili pepper flakes.

It's time for the Secret Recipe Club again! The SRC is a not so secret club where you're secretly assigned a blog every month to choose a recipe from. This month, I got Little Bit of Everything. Julie's got lots of tasty eats - Bubble Up Pizza, Basil Pesto Chicken, and Five Spiced Chicken Breasts with Hosin Sauce, for example. I chose to make the Chinese Cucumber Salad. With the hot summer weather, who doesn't want a refreshing side or snack? I've made a few different versions of this cucumber salad before, for example Seaweed Cucumber Salad, Sesame Cucumber Salad, and Sweet and Tangy Cucumber Salad. One difference I noticed with Julie's recipe was soaking the cucumber in a brine solution first. So, I thought I'd try her version and see what the difference was. All in the name of experimentation! Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll use the brine next time. Aside from just taking a while, it made the cucumbers really salty. If you go with the brine soak, I'd recommend rinsing the cucumbers really well afterward and decreasing the amount of soy sauce used. However, aside from the saltiness, we really liked this cucumber salad. The bit of chili pepper played well against the coolness of the cucumbers, and the sesame added just a bit of nice flavor.

Do you usually soak your cucumbers in brine first or just go straight to adding the sauce? Which do you prefer?


by
Refreshingly cool and savory cucumbers flavored with sesame and just a bit of chili pepper flakes.

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 4 servings

Materials:

Mass Weight Volume Number Material Notes
270 grams 9.5 ounces 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Methods:

  1. Gather all materials.
  2. Dissolve salt in enough water to cover cucumber by about 1 inch. Soak for about 30 minutes, then rinse well and drain. A salad spinner may be helpful here. (optional)
  3. Combine all materials and mix.


Methods with Images:

Morsels of Life - Chinese Cucumber Salad Step 1 - Gather all materials. 1. Gather all materials.
Morsels of Life - Chinese Cucumber Salad Step 2 - Dissolve salt in enough water to cover cucumber by about 1 inch. Soak for about 30 minutes, then rinse well and drain. A salad spinner may be helpful here.  (optional) 2. Dissolve salt in enough water to cover cucumber by about 1 inch. Soak for about 30 minutes, then rinse well and drain. A salad spinner may be helpful here. (optional)
Morsels of Life - Chinese Cucumber Salad Step 3 - Combine all materials and mix. 3. Combine all materials and mix.

Morsels of Life - Chinese Cucumber Salad - Refreshingly cool and savory cucumbers flavored with sesame and just a bit of chili pepper flakes.



12 comments:

  1. I love cucumber salads like this. And with a cucumber plant in my garden that has a gazillion blooms, I'll be making this one as soon as I my kitchen counter is full of cucumbers. Great SRC choice.

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  2. We have a great cucumber harvest right now and this is a great recipe to try, it is just packed with flavor. Hope you have a great week.
    Miz Helen

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  3. I love finding recipes that just scream summer. What is more delicious or cooling than a cucunber salad. Can't wait to try this recipe

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  4. Such a unique and different variation of cucumber salad! Great SRC choice!

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  5. It is cucumber season and this is the perfect recipe to use them up.

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  6. How fun we both had each other for SRC. I love this recipe, we make it all the time. I think the salt soak helps with the crispness.

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  7. You're making me wish I had a cucumber plant! This cucumber salad was simple and tasty, my favorite combo. :)

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  8. It certainly is packed with flavor! Sounds like you've got a plan for your cucumbers. :)

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  9. For real! So simple and refreshing. :)

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  10. I always like trying out new versions of "old" recipes. :)

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  11. It certainly is! Try a few different variations if you've got lots of cucumbers. :)

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  12. Indeed - what a fun coincidence! I can see how the salt soak would help with crispness. Maybe I'll skip the soy sauce next time. :)

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