This light and fresh Asian cucumber salad is our new favorite healthy side dish, complete with a sweet and tangy vinegar dressing.
Earlier this year I was working on an Asian steak marinade and I was playing around with the idea of using black vinegar in it. The final recipe was tested when Cade’s mom came into town and it was a total hit. Without even realizing it though, I’d added black vinegar to the cucumbers instead of the steak marinade that morning. It turned out both dishes needed something a little different than what I was doing and it was awesome!
You can read below for a substitute as we still love cucumber salad with just straight up rice or apple cider vinegar. In fact, we often use both.
Ingredients for Asian Cucumber Salad
It only takes 7 ingredients to make this simple but refreshing salad recipe. Here is what you will need:
- English Cucumber – I just to just slice them thin by hand, but feel free to remove the seeds if you want
- Red Onion – totally optional but I love the zip it adds, do a fine slice on a mandolin
- Rice Vinegar – mild, sweet and sour flavor
- Chinese Black Vinegar – a dark mild vinegar with a slightly fruity flavor
- Honey – adds sweetness and balances the saltiness and tang
- Sesame Seeds – give them a little toast to enhance the nutty flavor
- Fine Sea Salt – dissolves easily into the dressing and adds flavor
The full recipe with all the measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.