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What kind of sorcery makes a simple cucumber salad this ridiculously good? Like, it’s just cucumbers, right? WRONG, my dear goose. This Thai cucumber salad recipe is crisp, tangy, a little sweet, a tiny bit spicy, and so refreshing. You’ll be eating an authentic-tasting Thai salad in 10 minutes with no cooking.
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Thai cucumber salad (ajaad) is that lowkey MVP on the side of your plate at Thai restaurants, balancing out all the rich, more-heavily-cooked goodness with its bright, punchy dressing. It’s got that same fresh-meets-fiery energy as Thai papaya salad, the tangy crunch of Indonesian asinan sayur, and the not-holding-back flavors of Filipino ensaladang talong and Javanese urap sayur.
The crunch factor? 10/10. The flavor? A blend of lime, garlic, and a lil’ pop of sweetness to keep things vibing. And if you wanna throw in some bird’s eye chilies for that wake-up slap, that’s the kind of cucumber lifestyle this recipe is here for.
No sad, soggy cucumbers or dressing that tastes like melted candles. Just a supremely refreshing side dish that’ll have you drinking the dressing from the bowl (it’s not our proudest moment, but we’ve all been there). Grab your veggies, and let’s make a killer quick side dish for ya.
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🥰Why you’ll adore this vegan cucumber salad recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all my vegan Thai recipes, it’s got no fish sauce sneaking in. And if you are looking for gluten-free vegan recipes that slap, this is where your search ends.
⏳ Made in 10 Minutes Flat: Chop, mix, and boom—instant salad gratification. No cooking, no making a mess of your kitchen.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Before this recipe hit your screen, like all my vegan recipes, a massive team of testers around the world made sure it’s perfect. So, unless you accidentally use salt instead of sugar, or some other wild nonsense like that, you’re about to make a killer Thai cucumber salad.
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🥒Cucumber salad Ingredients
The Cucumbers
Crunchy, hydrating, and basically built for bold salads. Persian cucumbers are the crisp lil’ guys that soak up flavor like a dream while staying crisp that’s perfect for this recipe, asinan buah bogor, or a chilled vegan somen salad. No Persians at the store? English cucumbers or Kirbies, work too, just scoop out the seeds so things don’t get watery.
Bird’s Eye Chilies (Optional)
These little firecrackers pack a punch and so much addictive flavor. You’ll find ‘em bringing the heat in Lao papaya salad and Indonesian rujak serut. Not a fan of spicy kicks? You don’t need my permission to leave them out, silly!
Shallots
Slightly sweeter and milder than red onions, and perhaps even better at making my cry. They’re key in raw sambals like sambal dabu dabu and sambal matah. If you don’t have shallots, thinly sliced red onion works just fine but isn’t the traditional choice.
Rice Vinegar
Rice vinegar’s got that balanced, slightly dairy-like acidity that ties everything together. It’s what makes morkovcha and pa muchim taste so balanced, keeping things bright without overpowering. Don’t have rice vinegar? Apple cider or white wine vinegar will get the job done for you.
Vegan Fish Sauce (Optional)
My fave vegan fish sauce is kelp and mushroom-based from a company called Ocean’s Halo. It adds deep, savory umami without the fish. It’s key in Thai nam jim jaew, tom kha soup, and Vietnamese rice paper salad. For more heat, try vegan nuoc cham.
Sweetener
My wife avoids processed sugar, so I have tested this recipe with brown sugar, coconut sugar, and palm sugar. All do the job. Pretty much whatever dry granulated sweetener you’ve got on hand, you’re set.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Japanese Cucumber Salad
Japanese cucumber salad, or sunomono, is light, refreshing, and all about delicate rice vinegar dressing with sea veggies and just a subtle sweetness. Goes nicely in a bento box with wakame salad and vegan yakitori.
Korean Cucumber Salad
On the bolder side, oi muchim brings some heat from gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), and the dressing has sesame oil. It’s spicy, crunchy, and seriously addictive. Perfies when you want a little extra freshness to serve with vegan bulgogi, or vegan kimchi fried rice.
📖 How to make Thai cucumber salad
Nail this refreshing salad the first time by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
This Is The Rhythm of the Slice:
Thinly slice the cucumbers into rounds or half-moons and place them in a large bowl. If you have a mandolin slicer, it’s the perfect tool for getting those clean, uniform slices.
Step Two
Chili Chili Bang Bang:
Add the bird’s eye chilies (if using), shallots, cilantro leaves, and crushed peanuts to the bowl with the cucumbers. Give everything a quick mix to combine.
Step Three
Whisky Tango Foxtrot:
In a separate bowl, combine the garlic, rice vinegar, tamarind, lime juice, vegan fish sauce (if using), sugar, and salt. Whisk together until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is smooth.
Step Four
Dress To Impress:
Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss to coat evenly.
✅ If you want extra tenderness, gently massage the dressing into the cucumbers to help them absorb the flavors.
Step Five
Extra Credit:
Transfer the salad to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro, mint, extra crushed peanuts, and more chilies if you want 'em. Or serve the cucumbers over fresh greens drizzled with Thai salad dressing.
💡Serving Ideas
Alright, if you’re vibing with this salad, I’ve got the perfect lineup of dishes to pair it with.
First off, a nice heaping bowl of coconut jasmine rice or classic khao pad quickly turn this into a complete meal. Tom yum fried rice, Thai basil fried rice, and green curry fried rice pack extra layers of spice and aromatics. And if you really wanna turn up the heat, hit it with a drizzle of nam prik pao or chili garlic sauce, because I am always looking for a little extra yums.
If noodles-in-the-bathtub is your idea of self-care (uh, it’s mine, OK?), rock this cucumber salad with some vegan pad kee mao, pad woon sen, or vegan pad see ew.
If you are planning a full Thai feast, I’d seriously suggest going for one of my rainbow of curries. Vegan Thai red curry, vegan yellow curry, vegan massaman curry, and green curry tofu are all rich, creamy, and a little spicy.
Orrr… switch it up with a bowl of Vietnamese curry or Malaysian curry laksa, because, sometimes, you just need a little extra spice in your life, y’know.
👉Top tips
- Use a Mandolin for Perfect Slices: If you’ve got one, break out the mandolin slicer. It’ll give you paper-thin cucumber slices that absorb the dressing better and bring a smoother texture to the salad. Just be extra cautious (I have personally witnessed mandolines claiming many a fingertip in my years working in restaurants). If you’re doing it by hand, just aim for thin, even slices so every bite feels uniform and crispy.
- Massage the Cucumbers for Extra Tenderness: When you pour the dressing over the cucumbers, take an extra minute to gently massage the cucumbers with your hands. This softens them and helps the flavors really sink in.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Vegan oyster sauce or a mix of tamarind paste and mirin do a halfway decent job of replacing the vegan fish sauce in this recipe if you can’t get your hands on the stuff.
Top it off with some protein! Stir-fried vegan chicken, Indonesian fried tofu, miso-glazed eggplant, or even some vegan Korean fried chicken can turn this light, refreshing salad into a full meal.
To store your Thai cucumber salad, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days, but note that the cucumbers will soften the longer they sit. For a crunchier experience, store the dressing separately and toss the salad right before serving.
Nope. Just… no. Unless you’re aiming for a cucumber-flavored slushie, in which case, I can't stop you, but I also can’t guarantee you’ll still have friends after serving it. This salad is all about that fresh crunch, so keep it chill, not frozen.
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Thai Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- Mandoline optional
Ingredients
- 12 oz. Persian cucumbers
- 3 bird’s eye chilies minced (optional), or to taste
- ¼ cup shallots or red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup cilantro leaves chopped
- ⅓ cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts crushed
Dressing:
- ½ teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons vegan fish sauce optional, but recommended
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar coconut sugar, or palm sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Optional Garnishes:
- Cilantro leaves
- Mint leaves
- Additional crushed peanuts
- Sliced bird’s eye chilies
Instructions
- Slice the cucumbers into very thin rounds or half-moons and place them in a large bowl. Use a mandolin slicer for this if you have one.
- Add the bird’s eye chilies (if using), shallots, cilantro leaves, and crushed peanuts.
- In a separate bowl, using the tines of a fork or a small whisk, mix together the garlic, rice vinegar, tamarind, lime juice, vegan fish sauce (if using), sugar, and salt until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss to coat evenly. Optionally you can squeeze and massage the dressing into the cucumbers if you want them to be more tender.
- Transfer to an attractive serving dish and optionally garnish with cilantro, mint, crushed peanuts and additional chilies.
Notes
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Meg says
Oh yes! Yes! This is yumski a definitely repeat offender in my recipe list from now on. Beautiful layering of flavours in each mouthful. Crunchy, sweetish, savory—perfect.
Thank you Chef Adam
Linda says
Loved it! I used coconut sugar, which turned out an amazing flavor! What a great way to serve cucumbers—healthy never tasted so good!