Asian Spiral Cucumber Salad Recipe!
Hello from Tbilisi, Georgia! As a traveler, I’ve faced the challenge of sourcing Asian ingredients in this beautiful city. It was a challenge to me, especially since I was in the middle of traveling and couldn’t stock up on all the different kinds of sauces and spices in the pantry. However, this hurdle has inspired me to create simple yet delicious Asian at Home recipes using readily available ingredients. I’m thrilled to share my Asian Spiral Cucumber Salad Recipe with you today!
So, the past three recipes and the following recipe I will share on my blog will be straightforward and fun Asian at Home recipes made with super simple (limited) ingredients! I hope this is helpful!!
Simplifying Ingredients
My usual choices for kimchi are fish sauce or Yondu, but this time, I had to rethink due to limited luggage space and the fear of sauce accidents. So, whenever we arrive at a new place, I buy fresh bottles of sauces. This experience taught me that I don’t need a ton of sauces and spices to cook. I can create a variety of dishes with just a few essential ingredients. In Georgia, my top picks are Miso broth concentrate and shiro dashi. These super versatile sauces work wonders in soups, stir-fries, and salads.
The 5 recipes I’m about to share can be made with only 1 sauce of your choice from this list.
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Yondu
- Tsuyu
- Shiro dashi
- Miso broth concentrate
You can also use any chili oil you have in your hand!
Extra Chili Oil: 辣椒油 How to Make Extra Smokey, Spicy & Flavorful!
Heat the sesame oil and neutral oil in a saucepan or small skillet over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes.
You can either pour the hot oil over the chopped green onions, garlic, salt, sugar, your choice of sauce, and black pepper mixture in a heatproof bowl or add the green onions mixture into the oil. Stir well and set aside.
How to Cut Spiral Cucumber
Trim the end of the cucumber and cut one side at a 45-degree angle, only 3/4 way down. Flip the cucumber over and cut at a straight/90-degree only 3/4 way down. Be careful not to slice all the way through the cucumber. You could place the cucumber between two wooden chopsticks to guide not to cut through.
Sprinkle salt on the cucumbers and massage it into them. Let it sit for 5 minutes and rinse under cold water. Let it drain completely. If needed, tap dry with a paper towel. You can skip this step and just use fresh crunch cucumbers.
Combine the cucumber with 2 to 3 tbsp chili oil and lemon juice or vinegar. Gently mix. Garnish with some sesame seeds and enjoy!
Asian Spiral Cucumber Salad
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
For the Quick Chili Oil
- 1/3 cup oil
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp shiro dashi, yondu, tsuyu, soy sauce, fish sauce, or chicken bouillon
- A pinch of black pepper
For the Spiral Asian Cucumber Salad
- 2 medium Persian cucumbers, approximately 12 oz
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp rice vinegar, black vinegar, or lemon juice
- 2 to 3 tbsp Quick Chili Oil or your choice of chili oil
- Prep Time: 5 mins
