This spicy garlic cucumber salad is a quick no-cook dish that combines crisp English cucumbers with a savory-tangy dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil. The key to maximum crunch is salting the cucumbers beforehand to draw out excess water.
Check what you already have. We'll leave it off your shopping list.
CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
Using a mandoline slicer, thinly slice the entire cucumber into a large container.
Add salt to the sliced cucumbers. The salt will help draw out excess moisture.
Secure the lid on the container and shake well. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, drain the liquid that has been drawn out from the cucumbers.
Rinse the cucumbers under cold water to remove the excess salt, then drain well.
Return the drained cucumbers to the container. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, MSG, and grated garlic.
Place the lid back on the container and shake vigorously to combine all the ingredients and coat the cucumbers.
The cucumber salad can be served immediately for a crunchy texture, or you can let it marinate longer for more flavor.
Store dressed salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; crispness diminishes over time, so enjoy within a few hours of dressing.
Salting draws out excess moisture, preventing a watery salad and ensuring the cucumbers stay crisp and crunchy when dressed.
Salt the cucumbers up to 2 hours ahead, but dress just before serving to maintain crunch.
Use neutral oil like vegetable or peanut oil, though you'll lose some nutty flavor complexity.
MSG amplifies umami depth, but you can omit it or replace with a pinch of soy sauce for extra saltiness.
Yes, but seed regular cucumbers first to remove excess water and prevent mushiness.
