Smashed Cucumber Salad

This salad has been all over TikTok for a reason. Smashing the cucumbers creates jagged edges that soak up the dressing way better than slicing ever could. Fifteen minutes, no cooking, and it goes with basically everything.

Ingredients

• 4 Persian cucumbers (or 2 English cucumbers)
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp chili crisp (Lao Gan Ma is the classic)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Smash the Cucumbers

Lay your cucumbers on a cutting board. Press the flat side of a wide knife or cleaver on top and give it a firm whack with your palm. You want them to crack open, not turn to mush. One or two good hits per cucumber.

Step 2: Cut and Salt

Tear or chop the smashed cucumbers into rough, bite-sized pieces. Toss them with the salt in a colander and let them sit for about 10 minutes. This draws out excess water so the dressing doesn’t get diluted. Give them a good squeeze before moving on.

Step 3: Make the Dressing

While the cucumbers drain, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, black vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and chili crisp. Taste it. Adjust. You want it punchy since the cucumbers will mellow it out.

Step 4: Toss and Serve

Add the drained cucumbers to the dressing and toss until everything is well coated. Pile onto a plate, hit it with sesame seeds and sliced scallions, and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions

• Next to any grilled meat, especially Korean BBQ or char siu
• On top of a rice bowl with a fried egg
• As a side with dumplings or noodle soup

Tips

• Persian cucumbers work best. They have fewer seeds and stay crunchier. English cucumbers are a solid backup.
• Don’t skip the salting and draining step. Watery dressing is the number one way people mess this up.
• Eat it within 30 minutes. This is not a make-ahead salad. The cucumbers get soggy fast.
• Add crushed roasted peanuts for extra crunch.