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–+ servings
Crunchy smashed cucumbers dressed with a nutty and spicy sesame sauce.
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Smashed Cucumber Salad

Crushing cucumbers creates more surface area for dressing to stick to, and my Smashed Cucumber Salad recipe uses this easy technique to make an umami-packed side salad that doubles as a quick pickle.
Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese-Chinese
Keyword salad, spicy
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Vegetable
Diet Dairy-Free, Low Sugar, Low-Carb, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Salting time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 servings
Calories 41kcal
Author Marc Matsumoto

Ingredients

  • 325 grams cucumber (3 Japanese cucumbers)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • chili flakes (optional, to taste)
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

  • Trim both ends off 325 grams cucumber and then use a rolling pin or other heavy object to crush the cucumber into bite-size pieces.
    325 grams cucumber
    Smashing a cucumber with a rolling pin.
  • Toss the cucumber with ¼ teaspoon salt and let this sweat for about 10 minutes.
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    Salting smashed cucumbers.
  • Once the cucumber has released some water and becomes limp, use your hands to squeeze out any excess water and transfer it to a dry bowl.
    Squeezing excess water out of smashed cucumbers.
  • Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, and chili flakes, and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.
    1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, chili flakes
    Smashed cucumbers seasoned with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg