Tuesday, July 30, 2019

RECIPE: Cucumber Salad with Sesame Oil and Garlic

Here's another refreshing cucumber salad that my husband deemed, "just as good as the sweet-sour one but in a different way."  This one is smashed, rather than sliced, and seasoned with sesame oil and garlic.  I cut the recipe in half and used pickling cucumbers.

Original recipe: Smashed Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad with Sesame Oil and Garlic
Makes 2 cups

  • 3 large pickling cucumbers OR 1 english cucumber
  • 1 t. white sugar (I used biodynamic)
  • 1 t. himalayan pink salt
  • 1 clove garlic, finely crushed (would be better grated on a microplane)
  • 1 T. rice vinegar
  • 1 t. soy or 2 t. tamari sauce
  • 1 t. toasted sesame oil
  • red pepper flakes to taste (I used a pinch, it gets hotter as it sits)
  • 2 t. toasted sesame seeds

Wrap the cucumbers in a dish cloth, place on a cutting board, and pound with a flat object (I used my meat pounder) until they break.  Unwrap, transfer to cutting board, slice each one lengthwise, than in half lengthwise again.  Slice into 1" pieces.
Cucumbers smashed in dishcloth
Transfer to a strainer set over a bowl.  Mix with sugar and salt and leave to drain for 40-60 minutes.

Whisk together the garlic, vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.  Transfer cucumber to a bowl and mix with the sauce.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for flavors to mingle.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame and serve. 


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