Sesame Cucumber Salad with Rice Vinegar and Chilli
Cucumber is salted, drained and tossed with rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and chilli crunch. The result is cool, sharp and nutty, with the kind of snap that rich BBQ food needs.
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers about 700g total
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 spring onions finely sliced
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds optional
- 15 g fresh coriander or mint roughly chopped
- 1 small red chilli finely sliced
For the sesame rice vinegar dressing
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp runny honey or caster sugar
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
- 1 tbsp chilli crunch or chilli crisp
- ½ lime juiced
Instructions
Slice the cucumber
- Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways, then slice into half-moons about 5mm thick. If the centres are very seedy, scrape them lightly before slicing.
Salt and drain
- Put the cucumber in a colander, sprinkle with the salt and toss gently. Leave for 20 minutes over the sink or a bowl. The cucumber will soften slightly but keep its crunch.
Dry the cucumber
- Tip the cucumber onto kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Pat it dry well. Don’t rinse it unless you’ve over-salted, as rinsing puts water straight back in.
Mix the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, neutral oil, honey or sugar, ginger, garlic, chilli crunch and lime juice. Taste it. It should be sharp, savoury and nutty.
Dress just enough
- Put the cucumber in a mixing bowl with the spring onions and sliced chilli. Add most of the dressing and toss gently. Keep a little dressing back for refreshing before serving.
Finish with seeds and herbs
- Scatter over the sesame seeds and herbs just before serving. If making ahead, add the herbs at the last minute so they stay perky and fragrant.
Notes
Choose firm cucumbers with taut skins. Soft cucumbers hold too much water and lose their bite quickly. I usually leave the skin on because it gives colour and helps the slices keep some structure. If the seeds look very watery, scrape out some of the middle with a teaspoon.
Rice vinegar gives the cleanest acidity here. Malt vinegar is too blunt and cider vinegar makes the salad taste more pickled than fresh. Toasted sesame oil is powerful, so don’t pour with abandon. The chilli crunch brings texture as well as heat, which makes it more useful than a plain chilli sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 610mgPotassium: 360mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 520IUCalcium: 75mgIron: 1.4mg
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