Nicole’s Chinese-style Cucumber Salad

30 minutes

Makes 2-4 servings

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Wellspent partner & creative director Nicole Sakai serves this salad all summer long.

It’s quick and easy, yet full of complex flavors, and is just the thing to serve alongside a chilled glass of her refreshing Sorta Summer wine.

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the shopping list

1 pound of cucumbers - You can use Japanese, English, or Persian (we prefer the small Persian)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of vinegar (rice or Chinese black)
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2 green onions, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

From our shop

small handful of Kosher Sea Salt, Wellspent
$9.00– Gossen Island - Norway

1 tablespoon of Garlic Chili Crisp
$16.00– Seattle - Washington

Out of stock

1 teaspoon of Oregon Blackberry Honey
$10.00– Philomath - Oregon

Equipment

From the kitchen

1 chef's knife
1 cutting board
2 medium mixing bowls
1 small mixing bowl
paper towels
measuring cups
measuring spoons

What you'll have to do

Step 1 – Cut your cucumbers into your desired bite-size shape. You can do spiral (see below), simple slices, or smashed chunks.

Step 2 – Put the cucumber pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and mix fully. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, not longer or they will get too salty.

Step 3 – In that time, you can make the sauce: mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon chili crunch, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon honey, and peanuts.

Step 4 – Rinse the cucumbers and pat dry on some paper towels so there isn't residual water to dilute the sauce.

Step 5 – Toss in a bowl with sauce, then garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro and chopped peanuts. just before serving.

How to Spiral Cut a Cucumber

Step 1 – Cut ¼” slices at a 45º angle half way through one side of a cucumber. To make cutting only halfway through easier, use chopsticks on either side that will stop the knife.

Step 2 – Flip the cucumber over and cut straight ¼” slices half way through that entire side.

Viola! You have a cucumber spiral.