Smashed Cucumber Salad with Toasted Sesame Oil and Seeds

This easy but very delicious cucumber salad is inspired by Sara of @shisodelicious who made this on her IGTV a couple of years back. Since then I’ve been making it on repeat, especially in the summers when cucumbers are in season here in Sweden. It is deliciously savoury with a dressing made with soy sauce or tamari (gluten free option to soy sauce) and toasted sesame oil which adds a fantastically nutty touch.

In the recipe below I include a step where you allow the cucumber to sit for a while to allow juices to release but if you find yourself in a time pinch you could skip this step. Just a little tip for those of you with limited time in the kitchen!

If you want more fun side salads check out the video below where you can see me make this salad as well as a Fruity Tomato Salad with Whipped Feta and a Zesty Fennel Salad with Grapefruit.

Malin x

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 regular cucumber or 2-3 small persian cucumbers

Pinch of salt

For the dressing:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

0,5 tsp maple syrup

0,5 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of chili flakes

Top with:

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

METHOD:

Peel the cucumber mostly leaving decorative strips of peel here and there. Then place the side of the blade of a large chef’s knife onto the side of the cucumber and press the blade into it until it smashes the structure of the inside.

Cut off the ends of the cucumber and half it lengthwise. Slice each half into half moon shapes and transfer the pieces to a collander. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and allow to sit for roughly 20 minutes to release some water.

In the meantime make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stirring well to combine.

Once the 20 minutes are up on the cucumber press the pieces down with your hands to release more water and then dry them of gently with a clean tea towel.

Transfer the dried off cucumber pieces into the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine.

Plate up in a serving bowl and finish off with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.