Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad with Sesame Dressing
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This Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad is just what you need when you are craving an easy, vibrant and healthy side dish or light lunch! Featuring crisp cucumber, crunchy carrots, and tangy red onion tossed in a simple sesame dressing, this salad a great addition to any meal including picnics, cookouts or potlucks!
I love working with cucumbers in recipes. They are such a refreshing, crisp and light option for salads and appetizers like these Cucumber Salmon Cream Cheese Bites. With their neutral but slightly sweet flavor, they work well with a wide range of ingredients!
This Asian cucumber salad is a wonderful summer salad that can stand alone or pairs well with your favorite grilled meats. It’s versatile and refreshing, making it a wonderful addition to your recipe box.
Related: Tomato Cucumber and Onion Salad | Cucumber and Fruit Salad | Cucumber Radish Dill Salad
Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients are needed to make this Asian marinated cucumber salad including:
- Persian cucumbers (mini cucumbers) or English Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Red Onion
- Green Onion
- Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Garlic
- Toasted Sesame Seeds (I used white sesame seeds and toasted them.)
By using Persian or English Cucumbers, prep is minimal and there is no need to remove the the peel. It’s easy to buy baby cucumber in a 1 lb bag.
I cut my carrots because I had them on hand, but you can save time by purchasing shredded carrots in a bag. If you have a preference for green onion or red onion you can choose one instead of both. I think they work well together well in this recipe!
How to Toast Sesame Seeds
You can buy toasted sesame seeds or make your own! To do so, place sesame seeds in skillet over medium heat. Skillet should be dry, no oil required. Stir frequently for 3–5 minutes until they are golden and smell nutty. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning. Cool before using.
How to Make Asian Cucumber Carrot Salad
While this cucumber salad comes together quite easily, I’ll still break down the steps for you! Start by mixing your dressing ingredients in a small bowl. This includes rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and garlic. Give it a good whisk to mix and set aside.
Cut your mini cucumbers into even slices. No need to peel since they have a tender, thin skin.
Buying shredded carrot really simplifies a Carrot Cucumber Asian Salad! If I didn’t have carrots on hand already, I would have purchased some for this recipe. Washing, peeling and cutting your carrots into strips isn’t hard but does take a bit of time.
If you have better knife kills than me, you can probably achieve a more uniform julienne cut or you can use a julienne peeler. Alternatively, you could get out your food processor to shred. If you have a mandolin slicer available, you can also cut into round slices. You could even cut them into carrot ribbons.
Pour the soy sauce and sesame dressing over your salad ingredients along with your toasted sesame seeds, leaving a small amount of sesame seeds out to garnish the salad later.
Toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld if possible. You want the flavor to infuse into the vegetables but not so long that the cucumbers get soggy.
Just before serving, sprinkle remaining toasted sesame seeds over the top along with some freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste.
How to Enjoy This Recipe
I really fell in love with the simple flavors in this marinated cucumber salad. So light and crunchy, its a great side dish year round, especially with teriyaki chicken or stir-fried noodles or rice. It pairs well with summer meals like grilled chicken or salmon.
You can also use this Asian salad as a filler for lettuce wraps or grain bowls and pair it with a grilled protein, some avocado and perhaps some pickled radish or edamame.
Asian Sesame Dressing Variations
You can play around with the sesame dressing to get the flavors you enjoy most! Whether you want a spicy kick or a sweet touch, here are a few ways to switch it up:
- Ginger: Add 1-2 teaspoons of grated or finely minced fresh ginger for a bit of warmth and zing.
- Spicy Kick: Add a little heat with the addition of red pepper flakes, dash of sriracha, chili flakes, or a few drops of chili oil.
- Sweet Flavor: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey, maple syrup or brown sugar to balance the soy-vinegar flavor.
- Citrus Twist: Squeeze a bit of lime juice or add some orange zest to your dressing. It pairs well with sesame and ginger if you choose to add it!
Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad
Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad is the perfect light side dish for any meal. Refreshing and crunchy, this cucumber salad is tossed in a tangy sesame-soy dressing with a hint of garlic and rice vinegar. Give it a try with dinner, your next potluck or picnic, or as a light lunch option.
Ingredients
- 1 lb mini cucumbers (Persian) (or a large English cucumber) sliced
- 1 10 oz bag shredded carrots (or 3-4 medium carrots, cut into thin strips)
- 1/2 red onion sliced into halves or quarters
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
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Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and together in a small bowl until well combined.
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Place cucumbers, carrots, red onion and green onion in a large bowl.
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Drizzle dressing and add toasted sesame seeds, reserving a small amount of sesame seeds for garnish. Gently toss to coat.
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Chill for at least one hour to allow flavors to meld. Sprinkle with leftover toasted same seeds, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
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Serve cold same day for best results, but can be enjoyed for additional 1 to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
Toasted sesame seeds can be purchased or you can make your own.
How to Toast Sesame Seeds:
Place sesame seeds in skillet over medium heat. (Skillet should be dry, no oil required.) Stir frequently for 3–5 minutes until they are golden and smell nutty. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning. Cool before using.
Dressing Variations:
-
- Ginger: Add 1-2 teaspoons of grated or finely minced fresh ginger for a bit of warmth and zing.
- Spicy Kick: Add a little heat with the addition of red pepper flakes, dash of sriracha, chili flakes, or a few drops of chili oil.
- Sweet Flavor: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey, maple syrup or brown sugar to balance the soy-vinegar flavor.
- Citrus Twist: Squeeze a bit of lime juice or add some orange zest to your dressing.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.