Chinese Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜)

Easy dishes are often the best, right!? This amazing crisp, crunchy and fragrant Chinese cucumber salad (拍黄瓜) recipe is just that. Perfect as an appetizer or side dish and super-quick to put together at home.

Whenever I eat a Chinese feast at a restaurant or at home, I'm always sure to order a Chinese cucumber salad. It's a simple, wonderful, cooling dish - that offers fragrance and texture in equal measure.

It feels like it should be difficult to put together, but it's really not. It's all about assemblage! Quick, easy and you can make it in advance too. That makes it perfect for making at home - it sits wonderfully alongside stir-fried dishes, soups, stews and meats. For me it's often the star of the show.

What's Ahead?

Why it works?

Counterbalance - Chinese food is all about balance. A balance of colour, texture and most importantly flavour. There's a whole lot of umami going on in Chinese cuisine, so a small balance to that is the fresh and cooling qualities of cucumber. It's amazing how such a simple fish can transform the journey through a Chinese meal.

Stuff You'll Need

Any Asian cucumber salad recipe will call for similar ingredients, to ensure a blend of umami, sweet and sour. This Chinese recpie follows these principle. The key is the dressing - rich, fragrant and a burst of umami, smoky saltiness. I literally cannot get enough of the stuff! Here are some of the key ingredients for the salad - a full recipe is below.

• Cucumber - I prefer to use English cucumbers, the skin is thinner which makes for a better eating experience. I remove the seeds and salt them, then squeeze out the excess water, smashing up some of the pieces in the process. It makes for a splendid texture to the finished dish.
• Rice vinegar - a touch of acid and sourness
• Sesame oil - oh boy! I can't tell you how smoky, nutty and perfect it is in this dressing
• Peanut oil - more nuttiness!
• Soy sauce - light soy - salty and umami!
• Sugar - to counteract the salt and sour
• Garlic & Ginger - Did anyone order a side of fragrant!?

When everything comes together, the results are nothing short of magical! A perfect balance of sweet, salt and sour. And how long did that take to put together! 5 minutes - tops! A crisp accompaniment to literally any Chinese dish.

Step by Step

Introductory sentence + process shots

1. Step 1 - Halve the cucumber and, using a teaspoon, remove and discard the seeds. Cut each half lengthwise, then slice into 1-inch pieces.
2. Step 2 - Place the cucumber pieces in a sieve over a bowl and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Gently mix and allow to sit for 20 minutes to release excess moisture.
3. Step 3 - Mix the salt, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, peanut oil, minced garlic, and minced ginger until well combined. Set aside.
4. Step 4 - After 20 minutes, transfer the cucumber onto a clean tea towel. Gather it up and gently squeeze out excess moisture, ensuring not to crush the cucumber too much.
5. Step 5 - Return the cucumber to a bowl and drizzle the dressing over it. Gently toss to coat, then transfer to a serving platter. You can refrigerate the cucumber salad for up to 6 hours before serving – it's most enjoyable when served cold! Just before serving, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Pro Tips & Suggestions

1. Remove the cucumber seeds. This helps create a meatier, less watery salad - English cucumber are less watery, but still benefit from a light scooping of the seeds with a teaspoon.
2. Spice it up. Drizzle over some chilli oil at the last minute for a splendid combination of spice and cool in every bit.
3. Try black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar) - for a deeper headier sourness. It can add a lovely complexity to the dressing.
4. Toast your sesame seeds at home. Dry toasting your sesame seeds at home will enhance the flavour no end. You CAN buy pre toasted, but they've already lost the bulk of their flavour. See for yourself the wonderful difference of toasting at home.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

Serving - This dish really works alongside anything really. Try them with my delicious recipe for Chilli Oil Dumplings or spicy Xinjiang Lamb Skewers. There are more suggestions below too...

Storage - Keep in the fridge once made as it's best enjoyed cold. I make mine up to 5 hours in advance and if I have any leftovers, I keep them well covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cucumber is not, I repeat not a great contender for the freezer, so I don't recommend freezing.

Ready to get started?

Get ready to enjoy a super easy and quick Chinese salad for the next time you want to experience authentic Chinese restaurant food - and all without putting your shoes on and leaving the house. So, why have take out, when you can takeaway this amazing recipe?!

More delicious Chinese recipes

If you're serving this cucumber dish at home with a homespun Chinese spread of your own, why not try one or more of my other delicious recipes.

• Hainan Chicken and Rice
• Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl)
• Ginger Scallion Sauce
• Chicken Egg Foo Young
• Chinese Xinjiang Lamb Skewers
• Chinese Snow Pea Sprouts with Garlic
• Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings
• Chinese Eggplant
• Shantung Lamb Ribs
• Chinese Chilli Oil Dumplings
• Shandong Roast Chicken

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