Asian Cucumber Salad

If you’re sick and tired of the same old salads, you need to make this Asian Cucumber Salad! Fresh vegetables like cucumbers, bell peppers, and carrots are tossed in the most delicious homemade asian-inspired salad dressing. It’s a little sweet, a little salty, and completely mouthwatering!

Asian Cucumber Salad

It’s not very often that I describe a salad as “mouthwatering,” but there’s really no better word for this asian cucumber salad. The salad itself is pretty amazing, with ingredients like crunchy pieces of cucumber, sweet red bell pepper, bold red onion and pleasantly potent green onions. You won’t find any lackluster, limp iceberg lettuce in this salad!

What really makes this asian cucumber salad so mouthwatering is the dressing, of course. While the base of the salad is a medley of fresh and delicious veggies, the dressing is what makes you want to keep going back for more. Low sodium soy sauce (or tamari, if you’d prefer) adds just the right level of saltiness without being too much, while honey adds a touch of sweetness that is SO good.

I recently served this salad alongside my favorite Five Spice Teriyaki Flank Steak, and let me tell you – everyone at the table was part of the clean plate club! That steak recipe is tried and true, and everyone in my house devours it as soon as it hits the table. However, believe it or not, this easy cucumber salad garnered even more attention. So whether you’re making this salad for a weeknight dinner side dish or doubling the batch to serve at a party, you’ll be so glad you used this recipe!

How to Make It

Like any good salad recipe, this asian cucumber salad comes together in just a few minutes.

Place. Place the cucumbers bell pepper, carrot, onion, scallions and sesame seeds in a large bowl.

Whisk. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, Mirin, sesame oil, honey and chili oil until combined.

Toss. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat.

Enjoy! Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

Variations to Try

• For a slightly nuttier tasting dressing, use toasted sesame seed oil.
• Adding chili oil to the dressing is entirely optional, but highly recommended if you want a little spice in there.
• Red bell peppers are my favorite to use in this salad recipe because the red color really pop, and also because they’re slightly sweet, which accompanies the other ingredients perfectly. However, any bell pepper of your choice will be tasty too.
• Want to add even more freshness to this simple salad? Toss some cilantro into the mix for an additional bold touch of fresh flavor.

How long will the homemade dressing stay fresh?

In an airtight container in the fridge, the dressing for this cucumber salad will stay fresh for up to 2 days. Keep it in a tight-lidded jar, then give it a few shakes before pouring on to the salad.

Once the salad has been tossed, it will only stay fresh for about 8 hours in the fridge. After that, the vegetables will begin to go a little limp and they’ll lose their desired crunch.

What are some of the health benefits of this salad?

This salad isn’t just delicious, obviously! It’s also got a ton of really amazing health benefits from all the veggies. Cucumbers especially are packed with nutrients! They’re rich with vitamins K, B, C, as well as antioxidants. Oh, and they’re also super low in calories!

Red bell peppers are another big hitter with health benefits. They’re also low in calories while being high in nutrients like vitamins C and A, and they’re also full of potassium.

This is a salad I feel great about eating second helpings of!

Are you feeling cool as a cucumber? Then you need to try out these other delicious recipes that are perfect for summer!

• Quick Korean Cucumber Kimchi
• Greek Cucumber Noodle Salad
• The Very Best Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Cucumber Bruschetta with Tomato and Kalamata Olives

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