It is an error that needs correcting that in the near-20 years of plugging recipes into this url, only a few truly star cucumbers — and highly unrepresentative too, given that we are probably eating some format of cucumbers at half the nights of the week with dinner, and snacking on them throughout all of the other days. Crunchy, cold, hydrating, inexpensive, and taking well to any region of ingredients you wish to apply, I don’t need to sell you on their appeal, especially as we slog through our nth heat wave of the summer. I suspect that the lack of cucumber representation in the archives has more to do with the fact that little about cucumber salads brings out my inner obsessive recipe finetuner; usually I’m just throwing it together.
But for you, for us, and because this is actually the cucumber salad I make the most often on weeknights, I’ve pulled out the measuring spoons. Origin-wise, this is closest to a Japanese salad known as sunomono, which translates to “vinegared things.” Cucumbers are the most common, but it refers to any raw vegetable or seafood marinated in a sweet, tangy rice vinegar dressing. I skip the sugar, keep my cucumbers chunkier than seems common, and salt them for less time — I just do it for whatever time I have while I do other things, even if it’s just 10 minutes. Salting the cucumbers draws out some of their liquid, leaving a moisture deficit that better absorbs the dressing’s flavors.
For us, this is a staple of stir-fry, simple noodle dishes, or potsticker nights — either frozen or homemade. I usually have to double this because the least predictable member of our family will eat the whole bowl before we have a chance to sit down if I’m not prepared.
Cucumber Salad with Sesame and Rice Vinegar
Ingredients
- 1 pound (455 grams) Persian-style cucumbers, trimmed, in 1/2-inch slices
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond brand; use half if using another brand)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
- Ground black or white pepper
- Chili oil or chili crisp to taste, or red pepper flakes
- Toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Combine cucumbers and salt in a bowl. Set aside for as little as 10 to 15 minutes, or up to an hour or two. Transfer to the fridge to keep it cold and refreshing.
Drain any liquid from the cucumber bowl, then add rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and additional salt, if needed. Stir to combine. Finish with chili oil and toasted sesame seeds.
Do ahead: Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, and they’re amazing, becoming gently pickled.
