Turning the humble, cooling cucumber into a dish that's fresh and flavorful.
Chinese Spicy Cucumber Salad
Chef Linda Huang
4
30 minutes
5 minutes
Chinese
Side Dishes
The more roughly you chop the cucumber for this dish, the better. It lets the flavor of the dressing really get in there.
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 tsp crushed Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (aged Chinese black vinegar)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Tools
- Chinese Vegetable Cleaver
- Large Glass Bowl
Directions
Roughly chop the cucumber and add to a large bowl.
Whisk together soy sauce, salt, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a second, smaller bowl until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the cucumber.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, Sichuan peppercorns and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Cool for a minute.
Sprinkle the crushed red pepper over the cucumber. Pour the garlic oil mixture over the cucumber. Serve cold, and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.