Summertime means hot temperatures and fresh veggies. So why heat up the stove when you can make a refreshing asian cucumber salad instead? A simple salad with a flavor packed dressing full of soy, miso, garlic, and sesame, this dish comes together in just 5 quick minutes.
Spiralize!
The best kitchen tool I have bought in a long while has to be my countertop spiralizer! I went through a Keto phase (pretty short lived) and this was the best tool for making “pasta”. Trying to pretend I was eating real pasta was my greatest keto struggle, but this tool helped! I love the one I have because it suctions to the countertop and has a crank handle, making it secure when I’m ribboning tougher veggies like potatoes.
Spiralizers are a great tool, even if you aren’t on a restrictive diet, though. Summertime means plenty of fresh sweet potatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash. Why not mix up the way you eat them by making chips, zoodles, and fresh salads?
Asian Dressing
After you spiralize a few seedless cucumbers, toss in some carrots and edamame, it’s time to dress the salad. The intimidating thing about Asian food for me was the long list of ingredients each recipe seems to have. But I have found that once you get past the initial effort of stocking your pantry with a few Asian staples (soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, etc.), they go a long way! Now when I see a recipe I want to try, I know I probably have a bottle or two of everything stocked away.
This dressing, although a bit long in terms of ingredients, is simple to assemble. Mix soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, red miso, honey, garlic, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce (or sriracha) together. Serve on the side, or drizzle it right on top and toss!
Dress It Up!
I made this recipe with the ingredients I had on hand, but art is always up for interpretation, right? There is no end to what you can add to this simple salad
- Sliced red peppers
- Baby Corn
- Watercrest
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Sliced grilled chicken
- Grilled steak
- Medium rare grilled tuna
Cool off from the summer heat with a quick and easy asian cucumber salad. Serve it as a side, or top with with your favorite grilled meat and have it for lunch. Either way, it’s no sweat!
Want more easy sides?
Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 seedless (persian) cucumbers
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup edamame
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- black or white sesame seeds optional
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce substitute red pepper flakes or hot sauce
- 2 tsp honey
- ½ tbsp red miso paste
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Using the ribbon blade of a spiralizer, spiralize the cucumbers, cutting the ribbons ever 6-8 inches. Alternatively, thinly slice the cucumbers with a sharp knife or mandolin.
- Place slices cucumbers in a large bowl or serving platter. Add carrots, edamame, onions, and sesame seeds and toss gently
- In a smaller bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Pour over the vegetables or serve on the side.
- Serve immediately. If serving later, see notes below.
