Spicy and Crunchy Asian Cucumber Salad

This Asian cucumber salad is the perfect side dish for any meal. It's light, refreshing, and packed with flavor. The cucumbers are thinly sliced and tossed in a delicious vinaigrette made with rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. The salad is then topped with chopped peanuts and sesame seeds for a crunchy and nutty finish.

Cucumber salad is a popular dish throughout Asia, and there are many different variations on the recipe. This particular recipe is inspired by the classic Chinese dish, pai huang gua, which is made with cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. I've added a few of my own twists to the recipe, such as using rice vinegar instead of white vinegar, and adding chili garlic sauce for a bit of heat. The result is a salad that is both refreshing and flavorful.

Prep time: 15 | Cook time: 0 | Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber slices, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and salt.
2. Toss until the cucumbers are evenly coated.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
4. Just before serving, top with the peanuts and sesame seeds.
5. Serve immediately.

Why It Works

• The cucumbers are thinly sliced so that they absorb the flavors of the dressing more easily.
• The rice vinegar adds a bit of acidity to the salad, which helps to balance out the sweetness of the cucumbers.
• The sesame oil adds a nutty flavor to the salad.
• The soy sauce adds a bit of umami to the salad.
• The chili garlic sauce adds a bit of heat to the salad.
• The chopped peanuts and sesame seeds add a crunchy and nutty finish to the salad.