Thai Cucumber Salad
I was shocked at how much I fell in love with this style of cucumber salad. It’s got some heat from the bird’s eye chilies, a nice simple dressing, and that good ‘ol crunch from those peanuts. You’ll seriously be grabbing a second bowl before you even realize it!
Servings: 5 cups
Calories: 107kcal
Cost: $4
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
🔪 Listen To The Mandolin Rain:
If you’ve got a mandolin slicer, now’s its time to shine. It'll get you those perfect paper-thin slices that soak up all the dressing magic. Just be very careful, mandolins are known for snacking on fingertips. If slicing by hand, aim for thin, even cuts so every bite stays crisp.
🥒 Cuke-y Blinders:
Once the dressing hits the cucumbers, give them a little massage. This helps soften the edges and lets the flavors sink in deeper, making every bite more flavorful.
Nutrition
Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg