Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep cucumber salad from getting soggy? ›

Happily, salting cucumbers requires only 20 minutes or so and virtually no effort: You just put them in a colander or strainer, toss them with a big pinch of salt or two — the exact quantity doesn't matter, since most of the salt will flow away with the liquid — and let osmosis do its thing.

Wash the cucumbers, peel if desired, and cut into the shape you need. Place in a bowl and toss with enough kosher salt to coat evenly (approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per pound). Transfer to a colander set over a bowl or sink and let sit for 30 minutes.

This cucumber salad recipe features thinly sliced cucumbers, red onion, fresh dill, and a sweet and tangy vinegar dressing. Cooling and refreshing, this summer salad is a perfect BBQ or picnic side dish.

Persian Cucumbers

A big difference, however, is that Persians come in a greater range of lengths—some shorter, some longer, and sometimes with slightly bumpy skin like a Kirby. Persian cukes have a mild flavor and thin skins. This makes them great for salads or as slices to scoop up dip.

Marinating cucumbers can infuse them with a burst of flavour. Slice the cucumbers and place them in a bowl with a mixture of vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and your choice of herbs and spices. Allow the cucumbers to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Cucumbers—and other members of the pumpkin and gourd family—produce a compound called cucurbitacins that can impart a bitter taste. The amount of cucurbitacins a cucumber contains is increased when the plant faces adverse growing conditions, like a lack of water or excessive heat.

When it comes to making the best cucumber salads, I find that unless you take the time to properly salt and drain the cukes, the end product is watery, limp, and less than tasty. This easy extra step makes extra crunchy slices, takes almost no effort at all, but gives a big payout in the crunch department.

Toss the cucumber coins with salt, then let them sit in a colander — we set ours in the sink — for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rinse the cucumbers with cold water. Rinsing removes any excess salt so the salad won't be too salty.

Cucumbers - rolling in salt

Doing so will remove the stipples (bumps) and refresh both the color and flavor. This preparation method is called “itazuri” in Japanese. The recommended amount of salt for 1 cucumber is about 1/2 to 1 tsp. After performing itazuri, quickly rinse off the cucumber and then cut up.

No matter the salad recipe you're making, salt the cut-up cucumber beforehand. The extra step allows them to release some of their water — keeping them extra crisp even when they get tossed with the dressing.

What is the difference between Japanese cucumbers and regular cucumbers? ›

The Japanese cucumber has several advantages over common cucumbers. It is slender, thin-skinned, void of developed seeds, never bitter and entirely edible. The average harvested length is about four inches, while the cucumber is still young. Its skin is forest green and smooth with longitudinal grooves.

Source: Wikipedia

It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it shares the name guālóu (Chinese: 栝楼) with the related T. rosthornii. It is known as "Chinese cucumber" and "Chinese snake gourd" in English.

Old cucumbers are developed from cucumbers that have been left on the vine to fully mature and somewhat harden. Many experts believe Old cucumbers are the mature form of the Chinese yellow cucumber. Today Old cucumbers are primarily localized to markets in Southeast Asia, China, and Korea.

The Japanese cucumber is slender and thin-skinned than standard cucumber varieties. They are crisp, crunchy, and succulent with bright, melon-like flavors. Have you tried Japanese cucumbers? Called Kyuri (胡瓜・きゅうり) in Japanese, these crunchy cucumbers have forest green skin with long and slender bodies.