Light and refreshing, the cucumber salad It’s one of the trendiest recipes: it’s delicious with the dressing I’m sharing today, but without a doubt other big advantages are how easy it is to prepare and its benefits for our skin (among many others!).
In this salad, the crisp cucumbers are combined with a delicious Asian-inspired dressing, enhanced with the a special touch of sesame and a bit of heat from the chili. Best of all, you only need a few minutes to make the dressing and let the cucumbers marinate, soaking up all those flavors whose combination is amazing.
Ideal as a side for a fish dish, as a starter after some time at the pool in summer, or even as a light main course for dinner, I hope this salad becomes, as has happened at home, one of your favorite summer salads.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 large cucumbers
- 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
- Fresh cilantro leaves
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp of soy sauce
- 2 cdas of rice vinegar
- 1 cda of sesame oil
- 1 cda of sugar, or honey or maple syrup*
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 small red chili (or red bell pepper for a less spicy version)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of black pepper
*NOTE: With sugar or honey, we want to add a touch of sweetness to the mixture; it definitely helps. If you don't want to add any of these sweeteners, you can add a few pieces of apple instead (green or Golden, but make sure it's firm).
Preparation
- Wash and cut the cucumbers into thin strips or slices, according to your preference, and place them in a large bowl (use a mandoline slicer to ensure uniform, fast, and perfect cuts)
- Finely chop the garlic, and set aside; also chop the chili very finely.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Add the chopped red chili (or red bell pepper) to the dressing. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumbers and mix well so the cucumbers are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Let the salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. We want the cucumbers to really soak up the dressing.
- Serve the salad cold. Before bringing it to the table, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
I hope you enjoy this salad as much as you enjoy summer! (Or should I say it the other way around?)
