Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad

Savory and garlicky smashed cucumber salad is refreshing and pairs perfectly with every meal. Fresh garlic oil drizzled on top of crunchy cucumber; you need to try my Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad because I promise you will fall in love! This cucumber salad is not spicy, perfect for making for kids but still has all the savory flavors you find at restaurants. I make this Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad in bulk every week to enjoy throughout the week. 

10 Minute Easy Meal Prep Cucumber Side Dish

I’ve shared many cucumber salad recipes before, but thisGarlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is one of my favorites! It is perfect for families and kids as it is not spicy but is still super savory and delicious. Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is a MUST ORDER at Taiwanese restaurants. It literally goes well with any meal. It is actually super affordable and easy to make at home in less than 10 minutes!

Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is also my go-to for meal prepping. I make a ton on the weekends, and keep it in the fridge for an easy side dish anytime. If you are making it in bulk, skip the sesame seeds!

Smashed Garlic Cucumber Ingredients 

Chopping garlic for Smashed Garlic Cucumber

Tips For Extra Crunchy Cucumber

Cucumbers are high in fiber, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C, and super low in calories. It’s healthy for your immune system and your gut! I love adding them to my meals, because they’re just so refreshing paired with heavier dishes. The secret to making sure the Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad stays nice and crunchy is to draw out the excess water. Some people like only to use salt, but I find using half salt half sugar helps flavor the cucumber while ensuring that the cucumber stays nice and crunchy! Mix it in, and let it sit aside for 20 minutes, then dump out the extra liquid released. This will help the cucumber stay nice and crunchy.

Seasoning and resting cucumbers for extra crunchy garlic smashed cucumber

Garlic Sesame Vinaigrette

Cucumber is a very watery, light vegetable that can quickly turn bland because of its high water content. However, with this garlic sesame vinaigrette, you add a ton of aromatic flavor from sesame and garlic that rounds out the watery flavor. It also has black vinegar to add some tang.

However, if you like SPICY food, I highly recommend adding some of Chen family’s addicting Chili Paste. It is super quick to make at home with easy-to-find ingredients.

Minced garlic seasoning for Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad

How To Make Garlic Cucumber Salad

  1. Cut off the two ends of the cucumber, and using the side of the knife, smash the cucumber. Cut into bite-sized pieces. 
  2. Massage the cucumber with 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of sugar. Set it aside for 20 minutes. 
  3. After 20 minutes, dump out all the excess water and transfer the cucumber into a separate bowl. 
  4. In a bowl, add chopped garlic and heat 4 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, drizzle over the garlic. 
  5. Season the cucumber with black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, and fresh garlic oil. Toss everything together and enjoy! 

Do you want more EASY 20 MINUTE RECIPES? Here are some of my go-to recipes that are easy to make at home!

GARLIC SMASHED CUCUMBER SALAD

Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad

By Tiffy Cooks

5 from 1 vote
Savory and garlicky smashed cucumber salad is refreshing and pairs perfectly with every meal. Fresh garlic oil drizzled on top of crunchy cucumber; you need to try my Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad because I promise you will fall in love! This cucumber salad is perfect for making for kids as it is not spicy but still has all the savory flavors you find at restaurants. Prepare this Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad in bulk to enjoy throughout the week.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:5 minutes
Resting Time:20 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Taiwanese
Keyword: 10 Minute Recipe, 20 Minute Recipes, Appetizers, Asian Food, Asian Recipe Easy, Asian Recipes for Dinner, Authentic asian recipes, Chinese Food, cucumber salad, dinner Ideas, Easy, Easy Recipes, Healthy, Healthy Asian Recipes, QUICK RECIPES, Salad, Taiwanese Food, Taiwanese Recipes, VEGETARIAN, Vegetarian Recipes
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 190kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut off the two ends of the cucumber, and using the side of the knife, smash the cucumber. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Massage the cucumber with 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of sugar. Set it aside for 20 minutes.
    Seasoning and resting cucumbers for extra crunchy garlic smashed cucumber
  • After 20 minutes, dump out all the excess water and transfer the cucumber into a separate bowl.
  • In a bowl, add chopped garlic and heat 4 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, drizzle over the garlic.
    Chopping garlic for Smashed Garlic Cucumber
  • Season the cucumber with black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, and fresh garlic oil. Toss everything together and enjoy!
    Mixing Garlic Smashed Cucumbers

Video

Notes

if you like SPICY food, I highly recommend trying out my spicy smashed cucumber salad featuring The Chen family’s addicting Chili Paste is super quick to make at home with easy-to-find ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 963mgPotassium: 268mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 158IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I just finished prepping this for dinner tonight and it’s taking so much self-control not to eat it all before dinner. SOOO GOOD!

  2. Looking forward to trying this but, What happens if you do not have black vinegar? what other ingredient or substitute can you use?

5 from 1 vote

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