We’re bringing you something so fresh, so bright and delightful today, you’ll think it’s illegal for a salad to taste this good.

This cucumber salad is a perfect side dish to complement a hearty meal. It’s light and doesn’t sit heavy in the stomach. Or it’s perfect if you’re looking for a way to spice up your afternoon munchies that’s healthy and delicious!

closeup of cucumber with black sesame seeds

Why we love Asian cucumber salad

Honestly, we just love how simple this dish is to make, yet the flavor is complex and truly a party for the palate. With just one cucumber and some garnishes and dressing, this dish jumps straight to excellence. It’s perfect on a hot summer day but also on a day when you’ve eaten a lot of heavier food and want something that will rest lightly in your stomach.

What are Asian cucumbers?

There are quite a few varieties of cucumbers around, and the ones you can actually use for this recipe are English cucumbers. Those are the super-long, dark green ones that come wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. They’re similar to Japanese cucumbers, or Kyuri, which were bred to be less bitter than other types of cucumbers.

These cucumbers are ideal for this salad in part because of the seeds. While the shorter and rounder cucumbers called “slicing” cucumbers have really bitter, large seeds, the English cucumbers seeds are small and almost unnoticeable.

overhead with black sesame seeds and chopsticks

What is rice wine vinegar?

Rice wine vinegar is made from fermenting the starches in rice, first into alcohol and then into vinegar. It’s got a nice, slightly sweet flavor, and is a staple in many Asian dishes. In this dish, we combine it with toasted sesame oil to really amp up the flavor of the cucumber salad.

You can use rice wine vinegar to make fried rice, sushi, various salad dressings, or for marination. It’s a really versatile, super tasty ingredient!

sideview of cucumbers with black sesame seeds

How to make Asian cucumber salad

Thinly slice the cucumber.
Slice green onion stalk.
Combine cucumber and green onion slices in a bowl.
Season with salt to taste, and add rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.
Toss with cilantro, basil, mint, garlic, ginger, and black sesame seeds.
Add crushed red pepper to taste.
Mix it all together, and enjoy!

Serve this cucumber salad with our Kung Pao Chicken.

For more salad recipes try the Green Goddess Salad or the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.