Stretch your culinary skills and treat your taste buds with a delicious Chinese Cucumber Salad. Easy to prepare and refreshing, this salad recipe is perfect for quick meals and is sure to impress your friends and family. Ideal for both summer and winter seasons, the tangy cucumber salad is a versatile dish to have in your repertoire. In this article, we’ll give you an authentic recipe for Chinese cucumber salad and a few variations for you to try at home.
Why Try Chinese Cucumber Salad?
This traditional Chinese dish is famous for its vibrant flavour and refreshing taste. The salad features cucumber, which is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and has the added benefit of being a low-calorie food. The natural cooling effect of cucumber makes it a perfect ingredient to add to a summer salad, and its versatile reactivity to various ingredients means you can innovate with different flavour combinations. Furthermore, Chinese cucumber salad is very easy to make, requiring few ingredients and preparation time. Once you learn the basics, you can create your own unique variations of the popular dish.
Basic Chinese Cucumber Salad Recipe
To create the authentic Chinese cucumber salad, you will need:
– 2 thinly sliced cucumbers
– ¼ cup soy sauce
– 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
– 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
– 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
– 1 teaspoon honey
– ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
– Chopped cilantro or green onions to garnish
Step 1: Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and honey in a bowl and mix well.
Step 2: Add the cucumbers to the marinade and toss well, making sure all the cucumbers are fully coated.
Step 3: Let the cucumbers marinate for at least ten minutes before serving.
Step 4: Just before serving, sprinkle the salad with red pepper flakes and chopped cilantro or green onions for a finishing touch.
Variations of Chinese Cucumber Salad
You can get as creative as you like with the Chinese Cucumber Salad and tweak the ingredients to create different variations. Here are some of our favourite ways to mix it up:
Spicy Papaya Salad
To make a delicious and refreshing Spicy Papaya Salad, simply replace the cucumber with the thinly sliced papaya and add a few extra ingredients to the marinade. You will need:
– 2 cups thinly sliced papaya
– ¼ cup of soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
– 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
– 3 tablespoons of lime juice
– 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
– 1 teaspoon of honey
– 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
– Chopped cilantro or green onions to garnish
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice, ginger and honey and mix well to create the marinade.
Step 2: Add the papaya to the marinade and toss well, making sure all the papayas are fully coated.
Step 3: Sprinkle extra red pepper flakes for an added kick and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions. Serve immediately.
Citrus & Mint Salad
If you’re looking for something modern and refreshing, try making the Citrus & Mint Salad. This recipe swaps the cucumber for lemon and leaves in the zesty lemon peel for an extra burst of flavour. You will need:
– 2 thinly sliced lemons
– ¼ cup of soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
– 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
– 2 tablespoons of honey
– 2 teaspoons of lime juice
– 2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
– ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
– Steamed edamame to garnish
Step 1: Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, lime juice and red pepper flakes in a bowl and mix well.
Step 2: Add the lemon slices to the marinade and toss well to combine.
Step 3: Sprinkle the salad with chopped mint and edamame.
Step 4: Allow the salad to marinate for at least ten minutes before serving.
Hot & Sour Salad
If you want to give the classic Chinese cucumber salad recipe a twist, try making the Hot & Sour Salad. This recipe is made with cucumber, radishes, carrots and shallots and is flavoured with a hot and sour marinade. You will need:
– 2 thinly sliced cucumbers
– 1 cup of thinly sliced radishes
– 1 cup of thinly sliced carrots
– 2 thinly sliced shallots
– ¼ cup of white wine or apple cider vinegar
– 1 tablespoon of sugar
– 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Chopped cilantro or green onions to garnish
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the white wine or apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and mix well.
Step 2: Add the cucumbers, radishes, carrots and shallots to the marinade and toss well to combine.
Step 3: Allow the salad to marinate for at least an hour and then sprinkle with chopped cilantro or green onions to garnish before serving.
Tips for an Authentic Chinese Cucumber Salad
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when making your own Chinese cucumber salad.
– Look for the freshest ingredients when shopping for the salad-making. The fresher the cucumber, the better the salad.
– Don’t forget to align the recommended recipe’s marinating
– Keep in mind to prepare the salad at least 30 minutes before serving, so the flavours have a chance to mingle.
Conclusion
No matter the season, a Chinese cucumber salad will add a lightness and bright flair to your meal. The classic Chinese version is perfect for enjoy
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