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This smashed cucumber salad is quick and easy to make and the perfect Asian cucumber salad to accompany almost any main dish.

You can never have too many side salad recipes on deck, and during the summertime, in particular, cucumber salads reign supreme. Whether you’ve got a dill pickle hankering, jonesing for something creamy like this cucumber salad, or you’re going for a Mediterranean vibe with this herbed cucumber and feta salad, there’s no better way to stay cool. This smashed cucumber salad is the ideal accompaniment to most Chinese or Thai dishes, but it’s also great with grilled meats and seafood. I make it with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger, and plenty of cilantro. Giving the cucumbers a gentle smash with the flat side of a chef’s knife creates more surface area for the dressing to infuse and flavor. It gets topped with everything bagel seasoning for extra flavor and crunch.

In This Post

Why You’ll Love It

This smashed cucumber salad is such a cinch to make
It’s light, tangy, super refreshing, and flavorful
It’s the perfect side dish to Thai and Chinese entrees and grilled meats or seafood

What’s in Smashed Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers (I use crisp Persian cucumbers for this because they’re smaller with fewer seeds than regular garden cucumbers)
Kosher salt—always, for flavor
Green onion—for color and flavor
Sesame oil—toasted sesame oil is best here, for maximum flavor
Rice vinegar (I use seasoned but unseasoned works fine)
Soy sauce—for umami flavor
Everything bagel seasoning—(toasted sesame seeds are often used in this cucumber salad but my spin is using everything bagel seasoning with its all-in-one combination of sesame seeds, garlic and onion, sea salt, and more)
Ginger—fresh ginger makes this smashed cucumber salad bright, zingy, and extra refreshing
Honey—you could also use agave
Cilantro—feel free to omit it if you don’t care for it

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Smashed cucumbers in a pile foodiecrush.com

How to Smash Cucumbers

Trim the ends of the cucumbers then cut them into 1-inch chunks. Gently smash the cucumber chunks using the flat side of a chef’s knife.

Smashed Cucumber Salad with dressing foodiecrush.com

How to Make This Smashed Cucumber Salad

Season the cucumber. Add the smashed cucumber and green onion to a large bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Make the dressing. Whisk the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Everything Bagel Seasoning, ginger, and honey in a small bowl.
Dress the cucumber and let the flavors meld. Pour over the cucumber and green onion and toss with the chopped cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add more kosher salt or everything bagel seasoning. Refrigerate for 30 minutes then serve.

Recipe Variations and FAQs

For more heat, mix spicy chili crisp or red pepper flakes into the dressing
Swap the green onion for sliced red onion
Use toasted white or black sesame seeds instead of everything bagel seasoning
You can substitute hot house English cucumbers for the Persian cucumbers
This salad is best eaten the day it’s made but does gain more flavor after about 30 minutes or more chilling time in the fridge
Substitute fresh lemon or lime juice for the seasoned rice vinegar

Storage Tips

The salad is best served the day it is made. You can store in the fridge for about 3 days, but that’s not ideal, as the cucumber will lose its crispness and start to get soggy.

What to Eat With Smashed Cucumber Salad

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

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