If you do have time to make an elaborate salad on a busy day, but hate to miss having your daily salad during your meal, well, try out this simple and super easy to make Chinese Cucumber Salad recipe that you can make in no time, with just a few ingredients!
Why will you like this Chinese Cucumber Salad recipe?
It requires just one main ingredient: This salad is basically needs just on man ingredient, cucumber. Apart from this, this recipe just has a salad dressing with common ingredients in the pantry, like chillies, garlic, salt, sugar, soy sauce, olive oil and vinegar.
It is very easy to prepare: If you do not have the time to chop up multiple different salad vegetables to make an elaborate salad, then this recipe is perfect with you because it requires just one main ingredient and can be made within 10 to 15 minutes.
It is healthy: Well, salads are always healthy, right? They do not contain any fats or cholesterol and consuming any amount of salad will not significantly to your calories, but will help you become full.
It is vegan: For all vegans out there, this salad makes for a good snack or meal dish. It is healthy and vegan as well.
Main Ingredient in this Recipe
Cucumbers are the main ingredient and the base of this salad. Cucumbers are one of the healthiest vegetables out there as they mainly contain water.
They are rich in some nutrients and vitamins (like vitamin K, vitamin B and vitamin C), nevertheless and also contain minerals like phosphorous, potassium, etc.
Having a cucumber salad is heathy because it hardly contains any calories, but can still make you feel full and satiated. It can also help lower one’s blood sugar levels, support healthy weight, promote weight loss and can also prevent constipation.
Cucumbers are very hydrating for the body and can also help promote better digestion and can also help improve skin health.
Healthy Chinese Cucumber Salad
- 2 cucumbers or zucchini
- 2-3 red chilies
- 4-6 garlic pods
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp soya sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar (diluted)
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Firstly, rinse the cucumbers under running water and rub them with a little salt to get rid of any impurities and dirt. This step is essential because the cucumbers aren’t going to be skinned.
Cut the cucumbers vertically in half and lightly crush them. Then, cut them into pieces and place in a bowl, with a little salt. Set it aside for 10 minutes for the water to drain, while you make the dressing.
For the dressing, into a bowl, add in the red chilies (just chopped into small pieces) along with the garlic (chopped and minced into small bits), along with some sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil. Give it a good mix and set aside.
Drain out all the water from the salted cucumber and then add into the bowl with the dressing. Give it a good mix and then add in a little more salt if required.
Drizzle some sesame seeds over this salad and give it a mix. Then, pour into a serving bowl and it is ready to consume.
Alternative Ingredients:
Vinegar: In case you do not wish to add vinegar or do not have it available, you can substitute it with some freshly squeezed lemon juice to give you that tangy flavour.
Red Chillies: In case you do not have red chillies, you can substitute it with green chillies or a sprinkle of black pepper powder.
Sesame Seeds: You can substitute the sesame seeds with crushed sunflower seeds for a slightly different flavour.
Notes:
- If you wish to skip adding the sugar, you can. The sugar is added to balance out the multiple flavours in a salad dressing.