Taiwanese Cucumber Salad
Crunchy, tangy, sweet, and a little spicy. This Taiwanese cucumber salad is like pickles and kimchi had a delicious baby. Made with simple supermarket ingredients and pairs so well with every asian dishes or even just as a snack on its own!
Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber the big western kind
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 Chili Pepper (optional)
- 1 Tbsp Vinegar or rice vinegar if you like milder taste
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- some Sesame Seeds (optional) as garnish
Instructions
- Slice 1 Cucumber lengthwise to remove the seeds. You can scrap and scoop the seeds out with a spoon or just cut them off. Cut the cucumber into stripes around the size of a pinky finger.
- Add 1 Tbsp Sugar and 1 tsp Salt to the cucumber. Mix and set aside for 20-30 mins to draw the water out of the cucumber.
- Mince 3 cloves Garlic and 1 Chili Pepper (optional). Remove the seeds from the chili if you would like it less spicy,
- Remove the excess water from the cucumber and mix in 1 Tbsp Vinegar, 1 tsp Sesame Oil, as well as the minced garlic and chili. Taste it and add more vinegar, sugar, or salt to your liking. Be aware that the cucumber absorbs the flavor after marination, so aim for a little milder than you would like.
- Let it marinate for at least an hour or preferably for 2 to 3 hours and serve!
- It should be fine in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, but the water will keep getting drawn out of the cucumber and it will become a soggy soup. So ideally, finish within 1 to 2 days.