About the Recipe
This is our take on the viral spicy Asian Cucumber Salad. This recipes makes an easy side dish for your next Vietnamese dish or a great side salad for any meal. The dressing of authentic Vietnamese flavours and spice balances the crisp and cooling cucumber. This recipe makes an easy side dish for your next family dinner
This salad is easy to tailor to your tastes. Try experimenting with different Vietnamese herbs and spices like Asian basil, lemongrass, and five spice powder.
Ingredients
5-6 Small Cucumbers - washed with ends cut off
1 tbsp Salt
1 pair Chopsticks - take away chopsticks are good, as they will be used as a guide for chopping
Dressing:
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Nem Viet Dipping Sauce
3 tsp Sugar - we like to use Coconut Palm Sugar
2 Birds-eye Chillies - finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove - minced
1 Lime - juice
1 Spring Onion - finely chopped
Chopped Fresh Corainder and Mint - for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Using 2 chopsticks either side of a cucumber. Make thin slices across the top of the cucumber using the chopsticks making sure you don't go fully through the cucumbers. Flip the cucumbers over and slice again but at a 45° angle. Do this for all the cucumbers and place them all into a large bowl and add 1 tbsp of salt. Gently massage the salt into cucumbers and leave for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2
After 5-10 minutes, rinse the cucumbers with cold water, until the salt is removed. If you leave the salt on for longer than 10 minutes the cucumbers may break down and not be as crunchy.
Step 3
Add the dressing ingredients and mix well. Add to the cucumbers ensuring they all get coated in the dressing. Leave the salad to marinade for 30 minutes in the fridge. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
TIP: This salad is easily customisable, try adding different spices like Malaysian Sambal Oelak or Korean Gochujang, or different herds like makrut lime leaves or lemongrass.