Asian Cucumber Salad

A simple and tasty Asian cucumber salad with cucumbers, avocado, green onion, and an addictive sesame dressing. This light and healthy salad makes a perfect side dish to just about any dinner!

Serve this Asian cucumber salad alongside one of these popular recipes: chicken stir fry, coconut curry chicken, or chicken chow mein.

Growing up, my mom would make a cucumber and tomato salad at least once a week with garden fresh veggies. She would slice the cucumbers, chop up tomatoes, add in some lemon juice, salt + pepper, and that was it!

While that simple salad is still one of our go-tos, I love switching it up a bit. This Asian cucumber salad has become one of our staple side dishes. It pairs well with so many recipes adding a crisp coolness to meat or sauce heavy dishes.

When making a cucumber salad, I’m all about simplicity. Since it’s not a main dish, it shouldn’t require the time a main dish does. So we’re keeping the ingredient list simple, the dressing easy, and the process quick. Let’s get started!

If you garden or find yourself with a plethora of cucumbers, it’s sometimes a tricky ingredient to get creative with. For this recipe, I call for a bag of Persian cucumbers. You may have a few leftover depending on their size, so I’ve got a few ideas for leftovers.

Asian cucumber salad tips

• Make sure the vegetables have previously been chilled. Especially if you are using garden vegetables (the BEST!) it’s important that they spend some time in the fridge prior to being made into this salad.
• Fresh ingredients are best: as always, the more ripe your veggies, the better the salad will taste.
• If you can, opt for toasted sesame seeds. They’re more flavorful than regular sesame seeds and should be stocked right next to regular sesame seeds in the spice asile of your grocery store.
• Stir frequently: once the dressing has been added, toss the salad often to ensure all the veggies are getting well marinated in that dressing.
• Don’t forget to season! Adding salt and pepper is especially important for a cucumber salad. Be sure to taste frequently as you season to your personal preference.

Enjoy everyone!

More delicious salads:

• Quinoa Salad with avocado
• Chickpea Salad Mediterranean inspired
• Cucumber Salad with a balsamic dressing
• Panzanella Salad with fresh corn and tomatoes
• Mandarin Orange Salad with an orange poppyseed dressing

5 from 2 votes

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Asian Cucumber Salad

Prep Time

20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

A simple and tasty Asian cucumber salad with cucumbers, avocado, green onion, and an addictive sesame dressing. This light and healthy salad makes a perfect side dish to just about any dinner!

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: asian cucumber salad

Servings: 3 -5 as a side

Calories: 112 kcal

Ingredients

• 4 heaping cups thinly sliced Persian cucumbers (or English cucumbers) (
• 3/4 cup chopped avocado (~1 small ripe avocado)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (white parts only; about 4 onions)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional (increase or decrease for personal spice preference)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Peel the cucumber if desired. I like to leave the peels on for flavor and nutrients.

2. Thinly slice the cucumbers. (Use a box grater with a vegetable slicing surface, a mandolin slicer, or a knife). Add sliced cucumbers to a large bowl.

3. Chop the avocado. Add to the salad. Thinly slice the green onions and add to the salad.

4. In a mason jar, combine the sesame oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place lid on and shake to combine.

5. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to preference.

6. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, before serving for optimal flavors.

7. Salad best enjoyed within 1-2 hours of being made.

8. You'll find there is more dressing than you might think is needed and there is generally leftover dressing after the salad is gone. The amount of dressing is important though because as you stir it frequently, all of the ingredients have a chance to "marinate" in the dressing.

Recipe Notes

This salad is best eaten right after being made and doesn't store very well. It's also best when the vegetables have previously been chilled.