Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad
Updated Dec 04, 2025
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This Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad is a refreshing and flavorful recipe that comes together in minutes! It only uses a few ingredients – most of which I keep on hand!
Recipe Details
A smashed cucumber salad is a refreshing Chinese dish made with cucumbers that have been smashed or lightly pounded with a kitchen tool to break them down and release their juices. This technique helps to give the cucumbers a unique texture and allows them to better absorb the flavors of the dressing. The salad is typically dressed with a mixture of garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, chili oil, and sometimes sesame seeds for added flavor and texture. The result is a flavorful, crunchy, and cooling dish that’s perfect as a side dish or light appetizer.
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Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb English Cucumber, or Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Dressing
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon Black Vinegar, can also use rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce, low sodium
- 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Oil, more or less based on spice preference
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional; more or less based on spice preference
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds, optional
Instructions
- Cut the cucumber in half length-wise. Smash each section with the flat side of a chef's knife. Cut each piece at a diagonal into bite-size pieces.
- Add the cucumber pieces to a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and stir to combine. Let the the cucumbers sit for at least 10 minutes to draw out water. After sitting, drain the excess water.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to the cucumbers and mix well. Serve right away.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
