Cucumber Salad with Spicy Sesame Dressing

  A. Weaver  ||  July 4, 2022

As summer sets upon Northern California's valleys, I find myself craving lighter meals like salads, but I also find that prepackaged, make-on-the-go salads can become monotonous and all around boring. That's why I love this Cucumber salad with a Spicy Sesame dressing. This flavorful salad is not your traditional side dish. Crisp and light, this salad is a great way to celebrate the beginning, middle, and end of summer.

Cucumber Salad with Spicy Sesame Dressing

Recipe makes 6 to 8 servings. Total time 2 hours and 40 minutes (Prep: 40 minutes / Marinate: 2 hours). 

Special Cookware: Chopsticks 

Ingredients 

Cucumbers

• 2 pounds Cocktail cucumbers 
• 3 tbs kosher salt

Dressing

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 4 tbs agave syrup
• 3 tbs light shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1-1/2 tbs chili oil
• 1 tbs red chili flakes 
• 1 tbs sesame oil 
• 1 tbs sesame seeds
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 Fresno chili (thinly sliced)

Directions

Cucumbers

1. Thoroughly wash the cucumbers under cold water. This will remove any traces of dirt or small bugs that might have hitched a ride on your produce.
2. To make long spiraled cucumbers, grab two chopsticks. Place one cucumber in-between the chopsticks. Using the chopsticks as a buffer, cut the cucumber vertically from one side to the other. Make each cut about 1/8 inch wide. Turn the cucumber over to the opposite side, still keeping the cucumber in-between the two chopsticks. Cut the cucumber at a 45° angle with a width of 1/8 inch from one side to the other. 
3. Repeat Step 2 until all the cucumbers are cut and spiraled.
4. Transfer the cucumbers to a large mixing bowl and coat the cucumbers with salt.
5. Let the cucumbers sit for 30 minutes. This process allows the salt to remove the cucumber's excess water (this step is crucial!)
6. Wash the cucumbers under cold water. This will remover excess salt from the cucumber's exterior. Pat dry.

Dressing

1. To a Medium mixing bowl combine white vinegar, agave syrup, light shoyu, chili oil, red chili flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic powder, garlic, and Fresno chili and mix to combine.

• Add the sauce to the dried cucumber and thoroughly coat. 
• Place the cucumbers with the sauce in an air tight container or zip-locked bag. 
• Place the cucumbers in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. For the best flavor, let the cucumbers "hang out" for at least 6-12 hours before serving.

Garnish with thinly sliced Fresno chilis and garlic.

Hulō!

A. Weaver

Photos by A. Weaver