Smashed Cucumber Salad

The cooling elements of this refreshing Chinese cucumber salad, pai huang gua, make it a perfect accompaniment for rich, spicy dishes. Smashing the cucumber into bite-sized pieces helps to release the seeds and remove excess water while helping the dressing adhere. 

Smashed Cucumber Salad 

Versions of Cucumber Salad

There are numerous versions of this simple Sichuan-style salad, some using whole dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, chili oil or black vinegar. A Korean version is made with sliced cucumbers and gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes). A Japanese version, called sunomono, is made with sliced cucumbers in a similar sauce and sometimes with togarashi (a chili powder spice mixture).  

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Cucumber – I prefer to either use Persian or English cucumbers for this Chinese smashed cucumber salad recipe. Persian cucumbers are thinner skinned than regular cucumbers and only about 6-inches long. They’re seedless so there is no need to remove the seeds after smashing them. They also stay firm and crunchy after sitting in the salt and sugar mixture and sauce. English cucumbers are thin skinned and smaller and have less noticeable seeds than American slicing cucumbers. They are larger and longer so you may need to quarter them instead of halving them before smashing the cucumbers. 
• Sesame oil – Sesame oil is made from pressing raw sesame seeds and has a toasty, nutty flavor. Darker toasted sesame oil has a stronger flavor and is great for finishing dishes like this one while light sesame oil is more neutral in flavor.
• Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar is made through the process of fermenting rice. It has a much more mellow, less acidic flavor than other vinegars and perfectly complements the sesame oil and soy sauce base of this dressing.
• Soy sauce – I use reduced sodium soy sauce so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe, adding more if needed.
• Garlic – The garlic is finely minced so it almost forms a paste to blend seamlessly into the dressing. 
• Red pepper flakes – Red pepper flakes can be made from any number of chilies but the jarred ones you find in the store are typically made from dried, crushed cayenne peppers. They’re used to add heat to a dish. 
• Salt and sugar – Letting the cucumbers sit in salt and sugar lightly pickles them while enhancing the flavor of the cucumber.

How to Make Smashed Cucumber Salad

Step 1: Smash cucumbers.

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Add the cucumber to a large resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to smash the cucumbers into bite size pieces.

Step 2: Let cucumbers sit. 

Add the cucumber pieces to a colander and toss with the salt and sugar. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the cucumbers drain.

Step 3: Make sauce. 

In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper.

Step 4: Assemble and serve. 

Add the cucumbers to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Top with the sesame seeds and cilantro and serve. 

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe 

Swaps and substitutions 

• Try swapping the red pepper flakes for gochugaru or togarashi. 
• If you are short on time you can skip tossing the cucumbers in salt and sugar and the draining process. It will take away some of the flavor but is a good shortcut. 

Serving suggestions 

I love serving this recipe as a vegetable side dish with these recipes:

• Juicy Pork and Chive Pan-Fried Dumplings
• Shrimp Toast Recipe
• Spicy Salmon Salad Rice Bowls
• Double Garlic Fried Rice (and other stir fries!)

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoyed this smashed cucumber salad recipe, I recommend giving these a try: 

• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Togarashi Pork Ribs with Cucumber Herb Salad

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Print Pin

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Persian cucumbers, or 1 large English cucumber
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 clove minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves

Instructions:

• Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Add the cucumber to a large resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to smash the cucumbers into bite size pieces.
• Add the cucumber pieces to a colander and toss with the salt and sugar. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the cucumbers drain.
• In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper.
• Add the cucumbers to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Top with the sesame seeds and cilantro and serve.

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