Name: Simple Smashed Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 450 g persian or english cucumbers; 4 garlic; 5 g kosher salt; 30 ml light soy sauce; 30 ml black rice vinegar; 15 ml toasted sesame oil; 10 g granulated sugar; 10 ml chili oil

Equipment

Chef's knife or cleaver

or Rolling pin for smashing

Cutting board

Colander

or Mesh strainer

Mixing bowl

Ingredients

4 servings

Produce

450 g persian or english cucumbers, washed, ends trimmed
4 garlic, minced

Dressing and Marinade

5 g kosher salt
30 ml light soy sauce
30 ml black rice vinegar
15 ml toasted sesame oil
10 g granulated sugar
10 ml chili oil

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories

Protein

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

902mg

Sodium

Method

Place the cucumbers on a cutting board. Lay the flat side of a heavy chef's knife or cleaver against the cucumber and smash down firmly with the heel of your hand until the cucumber cracks open and splits lengthwise.

Cut the smashed cucumbers on a slight bias into bite-sized pieces, roughly 3 to 4 centimeters in length.

Transfer the chopped cucumbers to a colander placed in the sink or over a bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt, toss to coat evenly, and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture.

15m

While the cucumbers are purging, combine the light soy sauce, black rice vinegar, granulated sugar, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and optional chili oil in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Shake the colander to remove the liquid drawn from the cucumbers. Do not rinse them. Pat them gently with a paper towel if they are excessively wet.

Add the drained cucumbers to the mixing bowl with the dressing. Toss thoroughly until all the porous, smashed edges of the cucumbers have soaked up the liquid.

Transfer the salad to a serving dish. Serve immediately for the maximum crunch, or cover and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes for a colder, deeply marinated salad.

Chef's Notes

Smashing the cucumbers rather than neatly slicing them is a vital technique. It creates jagged, porous edges that act like sponges, absorbing the dressing far better than smooth, knife-cut surfaces.
Selecting the right cucumber is crucial. Use thin-skinned, nearly seedless varieties like Persian, English, or Asian cucumbers. Standard slicing cucumbers have thick skins and watery, large seed cores that yield a mushy, bitter result.
Black rice vinegar, also known as Chinkiang vinegar, provides the authentic, complex, and slightly earthy flavor profile characteristic of this dish. If you must substitute, standard unseasoned rice wine vinegar works but lacks the deep maltiness.