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Salads & sides · Chinese

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers cracked with the flat of a knife, salted, then tossed in black vinegar, garlic and chilli oil.

Prep
15 min
Salting
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4

Added . Suitable for: Vegetarian, Vegan.

Illustration of smashed cucumbers

Why this version

  • Smashing rather than slicing creates rough surfaces that hold far more dressing.
  • A short salt-and-sugar rest draws out water so the dressing is not diluted on the plate.
  • Black vinegar gives a malty depth that rice vinegar cannot.

Ingredients

Servings
4 servings
Units
  • 600 g small cucumbers, Persian or Lebanese
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1½ tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp chilli oil with sediment, to taste
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 10 g coriander

Method

  1. Lay a cucumber on a board, put the flat of a wide knife on top and press or smack it with your palm until it cracks open along its length. Repeat with the rest, then break or cut them into bite-sized pieces on an angle.

  2. Toss with the salt and sugar in a colander set over a bowl and leave for 15–30 minutes. Discard the liquid.

  3. In a serving bowl, mix the garlic, black vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil, then stir in the chilli oil.

  4. Shake the cucumbers dry, toss them in the dressing and scatter with sesame seeds and coriander. Serve within 30 minutes.

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What we tested

  • Sliced instead of smashed: neat, but the dressing pooled at the bottom of the bowl.
  • No salting: watery within 10 minutes.
  • Large salad cucumbers: fine, but scoop out the seeds first.

Keeping

Dress just before serving. The salted cucumbers can wait in the fridge for a few hours.

Swaps and notes

For gluten-free, use tamari and check the black vinegar label; some contain wheat.

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