Smashed Cucumber Salad

Cool, crunchy cucumber smashed and dressed with garlic, black vinegar and chilli oil.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 5 min
Total: 25 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Very Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 large cucumbers (about 600g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and finely ground
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • Small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

  1. Trim the cucumbers and lay each on a chopping board. Smash firmly with the flat side of a cleaver or a rolling pin until they split open, then tear or cut into bite-sized chunks.

  2. Toss the cucumber with the salt in a colander set over a bowl and leave for 15 minutes. Drain off the liquid and pat dry with kitchen paper.

  3. Put the garlic, chilli flakes and ground Sichuan pepper in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan until it just starts to shimmer, then pour it over the garlic mixture. It will sizzle.

  4. Stir in the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves.

  5. Pour the dressing over the cucumber and toss well. Scatter over the sesame seeds and coriander and serve straight away, while the cucumber is crisp.