Garden-to-Table Spicy Cucumber Salad

Spicy Cucumber Salad before we dug in for dinner. Image by author.

This weekend I harvested the first of the cucumbers from our China Jade cucumber plants. When the cucumber plants start producing, I scour books and online for recipes that showcase what makes different kinds of cucumbers shine in a meal. These Chinese snacking cucumbers have a thin skin that is easy on digestion and stellar for a cooling summer dish during the heat of the day.

Below you’ll find a very simple vegan cucumber dish that’s often served as a first course during Chinese meals. Cooling yet spicy, it helps cleanse the palate while inciting your stomach to make room for the delicacies to come. If you like cucumber salad but aren't a spicy lover, omit the chili oil and crisp and call it good.

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Spicy Cucumber Salad Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari

• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar (options: white rice vinegar, Chinkiang vinegar, or Datu Puti cane vinegar)

• 2 tablespoons chili crisp with oil
  

Directions

1. Lay the cucumber on a chopping board and smack it hard a few times with the flat blade of a Chinese cleaver or with a rolling pin.

2. Cut the cucumber in half and then halve those and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.

3. Place the cucumber pieces in a bowl with the salt and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes.

4. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

5. Drain the water released from the cucumber pieces. Pour sauce over the cucumbers and stir to combine. Best served immediately.