Home » Course » Side Dishes » Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe (Din Tai Fung-Inspired)
by ChihYu
June 7, 2021 (updated 2/1/24)
24 comments »
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5 from 19 votes
I’ll take my Asian Cucumber Salad Din Tai Fung style anytime of the year Thanks! Crunchy refreshing Chinese cucumber salad recipe with a garlicky and tangy honey chili vinaigrette literally goes well with everything! This Chinese style cucumber salad is super simple and addictive, and is just the dish to keep you cool all summer long!
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Asian Cucumber Salad with Honey Chili Vinaigrette
Cucumber is probably one of my favorite vegetables in summer months. It’s a super versatile vegetable that pairs literally with any salad dressings. I’ve used it in many of my recipes – from Chinese smashed cucumber salad and Japanese potato salad to Chinese stir-fry dish – Moo shu chicken.
Today’s Asian-style cucumber salad is inspired by Din Tai Fung. What makes this dish so good is a terrific honey garlic vinaigrette which you can make it spicy or not spicy to the juicy, crisp cucumber.
What you need for Asian easy cucumber salad recipe
- Persian or mini cucumbers
- Coarse sea salt
Honey Chili Garlic Vinaigrette – Asian Cucumber Salad Dressing:
- Garlic
- Rice vinegar
- Honey or keto honey (product link in recipe card)
- Toasted sesame oil
- Garlic chili sauce, or store-bought Sichuan chili oil
What type of cucumbers to use
I recommend using Persian cucumbers, Japanese cucumbers, or Mini cucumbers. Persian cucumbers are small, have thin skin, and are nearly seedless. They are super crunchy, snappy, a little sweet, and less watery. Because the skin is thin you don’t need to peel it.
Asian Cucumber Substitute
If you can’t find Asian cucumbers, the next best substitute is English cucumbers. English cucumber also has thin skin so you don’t need to peel it but it tastes less sweet and a bit more watery so make sure you block the water well with a paper towel, following the instructions below.
How to make Chinese Cucumber Salad
- Salt: Dice the cucumbers to ½-inch thick cylinder shape pieces. Toss with salt and let rest for 30-45 minutes.
- Dressing: Combine the salad dressing in a bowl.
- Rinse: Rinse the cucumbers to remove the salt.
- Dry: Pat dry the cucumbers with a clean towel.
- Combine: Pour the dressing over the cucumber. Toss well and serve!
Why need to salt the cucumbers
For this Asian cucumber salad recipe, the salt does two things –
- It draws water from the cucumbers and therefore they remain crunchy
- Salt seasons the cucumbers and therefore they are tastier.
How long does the cucumber salad keep in the fridge
If the cucumbers are mixed with the dressing, I recommend finishing it the next day.
How to make ahead
If the cucumbers haven’t mixed with the dressing and are patted dry after salting, you can store them in a container, lined with clean paper towels in the fridge for 2 days. Just toss them with the dressing before serving. This is the best way to make ahead Chinese cucumber salad!
What to serve with Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe
To keep it cool and easy, here are some great ideas – pair the Shirataki cold noodles with paleo “peanut” sauce with cucumbers, low-carb kimchi pancake, Whole30 bang bang shrimp, Din Tai Fung green beans air fryer with Din Tai Fung shrimp and egg fried rice, or crispy rice paper dumplings for a delightful homemade meal.
If you have extra cucumber at home, my cucumber noodles with Thai peanut sauce or Korean cucumber salad is another fantastic choice!
More Asian Salad Recipes
- Keto shrimp avocado salad
- Japanese cucumber salad!
- Mandarin orange salad with chicken
- Asian coleslaw
- Mung bean sprouts salad
- Gomaae Japanese Spinach Salad
- Bok choy salad
- Chinese smashed cucumber salad
- More Paleo Salad Recipes
- 60+ Whole30 vegan vegetarian recipes
5 from 19 votes
Asian cucumber salad recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Resting time:: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Author: ChihYu Smith
Asian Cucumber Salad Ding Tai Fung style with honey garlic chili vinaigrette is the best Chinese cucumber salad for hot summer!
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Ingredients
- 12 oz. Persian cucumbers, about 6- 7 mini cucumbers
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
For the honey chili garlic vinaigrette:
- 2.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 0.3 oz garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp keto honey, or 1.5 tbsp regular honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1-1.5 tsp Garlic chili sauce, optional
Instructions
Dice the cucumbers to ½-inch thick cylinder shape pieces. In a large mixing bowl, toss with salt and let rest for 30-45 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the salad dressing in a bowl. It should taste garlicky, tangy, and a little sweet. Store it in the fridge.
Rinse the cucumbers 2-3 times to remove the salt. The cucumbers should taste a little salty but not too salty.
Pat dry the cucumbers with a clean towel.
Place them in a large serving plate and stack the extras on top to make a little tower.
Pour the dressing over the cucumber. Toss well and serve immediately!
Notes
- How long does the salad keep in the fridge?
If the cucumbers are mixed with the dressing, I recommend finishing it the next day. - How to make ahead –
If the cucumbers 1) haven’t mixed with the dressing and 2) are patted dry after salting, you can store them in a container, lined with clean paper towels in the fridge for 2 days. Just toss them with the dressing before serving. This is the best way to make ahead Chinese cucumber salad! - Tip:
The cucumbers will continue to leak water after you pat them dry so only combine them with the dressing before serving. - The total prep time does not include rest time to salt the cucumbers.
- The nutritional label is estimated with keto honey.
- You can also use store-bought chili oil. This is the brand I recommend.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 59kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 594mg, Potassium: 134mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese
Keyword: Asian cucumber salad, Asian cucumber salad dressing, Asian cucumber salad recipe, Chinese cucumber salad, Cucumber salad asian, Easy cucumber salad, recipe for cucumber salad
Web Story: https://iheartumami.com/web-stories/asian-cucumber-salad-story/
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @iheartumami.ny on Instagram and hashtag it #iheartumami.
Appetizers Chinese Cooking Method Course Cuisines Dietary Gluten-free Holiday/Season Keto Paleo Salads Side Dishes Summer/BBQ Taiwanese Vegetarian
posted by ChihYu on June 7, 2021
24 Comments / Leave a Comment »
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24 comments on “Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe (Din Tai Fung-Inspired)”
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Kristen — Reply
Holy moly that was SOOOOOOO full of flavor (umami!!) and so ridiculously easy to make! I had extra sauce (didn’t have enough cucumbers) and so glad I did because I coated my steak and plantains in it 😅😅 incredible, seriously will be making again and again! -
Erica — Reply
So delicious and perfect for hot summer days! The cucumber salad is one of my favorites from Din Tai Fung, and now I can make it at home anytime. Thanks for a great recipe! -
Ann — Reply
Delicious. I didn’t have chili oil, so I used chili paste. My husband and I loved it and definitely make again. -
Keabiya — Reply
Everything this woman makes is gold! If it wasn’t for her recipes I couldn’t keep up with my paleo lifestyle! This recipe is so easy and versatile. I often times add toasted garlic 🧄.-
ChihYu — Reply
Thank you so much! I appreciate it! 😀
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jennifer — Reply
This salad is DELICIOUS . . . the vinaigrette makes it extra special! A side dish that is now in my frequent rotation! -
Donny — Reply
This is such a good twist on the typical (i.e. American) cucumber salad I grew up eating. And it’s so easy too! -
Stacey — Reply
This is so good, especially with the chili oil. One of the best cucumber salads I’ve ever had! -
Christine — Reply
Another slam dunk from ChihYu – I absolutely LOVE this dish! My daughter and I are both big fans of ChihYu’s recipes, and she made this a few times when we visited her recently. Since returning home, the dish has been on rotation. So crispy, perfectly seasoned, and just so darn delicious I could eat an entire bowl!-
ChihYu — Reply
Lovely! So great to hear from you again, Christine!
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#happybellyhappynelly — Reply
I love love this cucumber salad! I’m a cucumber lover so this is so perfect for me. Plus so quick and easy to make! Full of umami and yet so light and refreshing. I’m addicted to this dressing. I’m definitely going to make this again and again and even have an extra batch of the dressing to keep handy. Oh I did add a bit of Korean hot pepper flakes for that extra kick 🙂Thank you for sharing Chihyu!
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ChihYu — Reply
That’s awesome. What a great idea!
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Gloria Gines — Reply
I am on the AIP diet so I used apple cider vinegar and raw honey and my family absolutely loved it! I made it for our Asian themed Christmas Eve dinner as one of the salads and I will definitely be making this again..!-
ChihYu — Reply
Thank you for sharing, Gloria! Love it!
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Marcus — Reply
Legit have made this daily over the last week! It’s so delicious and the perfect snack on a hot day! Recipe is easy to follow and can modify how you like (I’m team extra vinegar)
Give it a try!-
ChihYu — Reply
Thanks, Marcus!
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Elizabeth Stone — Reply
These cucumbers are so full of flavor. The sweet and tangy with the crunch was an awesome combination! -
Noelle — Reply
This recipe was soooo easy to make and I’m really happy I tried it! I’m always craving the Din Tai Fung cucumber salad, and now I know I can make something similar at home anytime that I want. It’s delicious and very refreshing – I just need to get some chili oil!!! -
Elaine Q — Reply
This side dish was so simple & easy to make but the flavors & texture were insane. Loved the crunch, spice and tasted so authentic! -
Erin — Reply
I just planted 3 cucumber plants today! I so hope I don’t kill them. Then I can make this delicious recipe again and again!
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Donny — Reply
Refreshing, spicy and sweet – this is like my perfect salad! Thanks! -
Charlotte — Reply
Everything about this salad is perfect! Crunchy, spicy, sweet and so delicious! -
Megan Stevens — Reply
This is SUCH a delicious salad!! Perfect for my mom’s 80th birthday party with BBQed steaks, all so easy but still so special. I wouldn’t have known to salt the cucumbers, so that’s a great step and tip! -
Jean — Reply
Such a refreshing and crunchy salad! I love the spiciness.
