Thai Cucumber Salad is the perfect side dish for any occasion. It is incredibly quick and easy to make but packs a serious flavour punch!
This super quick and incredibly easy Thai Cucumber Salad is a staple in our household. With only a few ingredients, I can easily whip this up for lunch or dinner.
My youngest son is a serious cucumber fanatic! I'm always looking for fun and tasty ways to serve cucumbers as often as possible. I'm cool like that!
I figure if you have a kid who loves veggies you should do a happy dance and make veggie dishes every flipping day. Am I right?
Both of my hooligans love fruits and vegetables. I'll admit I'm more of a fruit lover but I dig veggie recipes too. We are the kind of family who serves 4 sides with every meal.
No joke, man. If you ask anyone who has been lucky enough to have dinner at our house they will tell you we average 4-5 sides per protein.
So, if I serve a sirloin roast and roast chicken for dinner there will likely be around 8-10 side dishes on the table. We're huge carnivores but sides are our jam!
This Thai cucumber salad also got rave reviews. You need to give this a try as soon as possible!
Ingredient Notes:
- Vinegar - I used rice vinegar in this recipe. You can find it in most grocery stores.
- Sugar - A little sugar helps balance this recipe perfectly.
- Oil - Sesame oil is the perfect option for this salad.
- Thai Chile Pepper - These little peppers pack a serious punch so start with a little and work your way up. You can always add more, but you can't take away heat easily so err on the side of caution.
- Cucumber - I used an english cucumbers for mine, but feel free to substitute Persian cucumbers or any cucumber you prefer. You can use spiral cut or cucumber slices.
- Shallots - Personally, I love the flavour of shallots as it tastes like garlic and onions combined. Feel free to use red onion or green onions if you prefer those.
- Spices - I highly recommend that you sprinkle a little red pepper flakes over this cucumber salad. You can also add salt and pepper if you like.
- Optional Herbs and Add in's - Feel free to add fresh cilantro if you like the taste. You can also stir in fresh squeezed lime juice. Or chop up a small red onion for added crunch.
How to Make Thai Cucumber Salad:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, oil and Thai chile pepper. Whisk until combined.
- Next, in a separate bowl, combine the cucumbers, shallots and red pepper flakes. Use a spoon to mix well.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the cucumber mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
- Place in the fridge to keep cool until you are ready to eat.
- Serve!
How to Store Thai Cucumber Salad:
- Store the Thai cucumber salad recipe in an airtight container. Be sure to remove as much air as possible. Place the container in the refrigerator. Cucumber salad will keep in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
- Keep in mind that the longer it sits in the fridge the softer the veggies will become and the colour may change a bit. If you're serving this for a party or potluck I would recommend serving it within 24 hours of making it for the best flavour and texture.
- If you store the salad ingredients in mini mason jars you can serve this at a picnic or potluck. Just be sure to keep the jars chilled until serving.
Other Fabulous Side Dishes:
- Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Balsamic Roasted Baby Carrots
- Skillet Asparagus with Lime Butter
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Farro with Dried Cherries and Pistachios
- Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Bacon
- Roasted Carrots with Honey and Pistachios
- Spicy Chipotle Skillet Corn with Bacon
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Thai Cucumber Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 medium red Thai chile pepper finely chopped
- 1 large english cucumber spiral cut or slice
- 2 medium shallots finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
Instructions
- Combine rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and red Thai chile pepper in a small mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients really well.
- In another small bowl, combine the cucumber, shallots and red pepper flakes. Use a wooden spoon to mix well.
- Pour liquid mixture over cucumber mixture. Toss until cucumbers are coated well. Place in fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve in a bowl or on a platter!
Notes
Nutrition
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Toodles! xx
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic
Cucumbers with a kick--LOVE it! Son #4 is a huge cucumber fanatic, so I'll have to make this for him. I'll keep the Thai chile to myself. I can handle the heat!
Dave Clitherow
Would probably work to add a splash of Nam Pla (fish sauce) too I reckon....?
Kim Beaulieu
Hi Dave. That would be awesome. Love that idea.
When I'm being super lazy I use salad dressing and Thai sweet chili sauce.
Moy
Refreshing spicy summary dish. Love it. Moy
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much.
David
I haven’t made it yet but it looks so fresh and tastes (in my mind) so good, I can’t wait to try it..... thanks !
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks, David. Hope you get a chance to try it this summer. It's really delicious.
Norman/Leila Brashers
You say you can substitute salad dressing. What kind?
Kim Beaulieu
Hey! Sorry, I've been off work for some time due to some health issues. Finally back to work and trying to catch up. I apologize for leaving you hanging for so long.
Anyhow, I've actually subbed with Italian dressing before. I know it sounds weird but it works. Any Asian style dressings would work too. Or anything with roasted red peppers would taste lovely with this. Hope that helps.
Annette
Had a similar salad at my Thai restaurant, but theirs was too sweet!!! I used a little rice wine sherry and replaced it with the sugar..it was fantastic!
Kim Beaulieu
That sounds delicious!!
christyml
Great simple recipe. I didn't have Thai chilies or shallots so I added extra pepper flakes and red onion and it was still great.
Kim Beaulieu
Those substitutions sound great. I'm glad you got to try this. It's such an easy recipe for summer. Have a great week!
Reg Deneau
Found a little bit of Heaven in this recipe. It was simple and perfect just as it was shown. I sliced the cucumbers thinly using my mandoline. Three healthy men devoured the recipe in short time. Spice was perfect!
Kim Beaulieu
I'm so glad you liked it. It's a great recipe for cucumber season.