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This Chinese language-inspired Smashed Cucumber Salad is a good crunchy, tangy aspect dish to serve alone or paired together with your favourite rice dish, noodles, or just a few seaweed snacks. Gluten-free, Vegan.
This Smashed Cucumber Salad is full of protein-rich edamame, crunchy, cool cucumbers, flavorful inexperienced onions and a tangy, spicy dressing that’ll preserve you coming again for extra. All you want is 25 minutes and 10 inexpensive elements to whip up this straightforward recipe.
Desk of Contents
All About this Crunchy, Fuss-Free Dish
Right this moment’s edamame salad was born out of a necessity for a fast and straightforward lunch that will additionally preserve me full till dinner. And whereas I’ve obtained many high-protein lunch concepts on the weblog, I used to be craving a salad that was crunchy, tangy, spicy and didn’t require any cooking in any respect.
I’m comfortable to say this edamame salad made with smashed cucumbers checks all of the bins. The smashing method makes the cucumbers extra tender, juicy, and permits them to soak up the flavorful sauce in a means you’ve by no means skilled earlier than. When you’ve solely ever tried my Crunchy Cucumber Dill Salad or White Bean & Cucumber Salad, you’re in for a deal with!
Get pleasure from it as a aspect dish, refreshing afternoon snack, or mild lunch on a scorching summer season day.
What You Want for a Smashed Cucumber Salad
This edamame salad is made with the basic Chinese language smashed cucumber salad elements, plus just a few extra elements to make it extra filling. Right here’s the fundamentals, plus just a few substitution choices:
- Cucumbers: A crisp, crunchy, and refreshing veggie that’s each inexpensive and straightforward to search out year-round.
- Dressing: A mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, do-it-yourself chili oil, and uncooked garlic are all it’s essential make this tangy dressing. You’ll be able to even swap the maple syrup for agave, the chili oil for sriracha or a pinch of pink pepper flakes, and the toasted sesame oil for one more impartial oil.
- Edamame: Shelled edamame is a good supply of each protein and fiber, which helps make this edamame salad filling sufficient to maintain you happy till lunch. I like to purchase pre-shelled edamame beans from Dealer Joe’s, however they are often present in most freezer sections of mainstream grocery shops, too.
- Inexperienced onions: Provides a light chew with out overpowering the flavors of the dressing. If inexperienced onions aren’t an choice, strive spring onions.
- Sesame seeds: The supply of a further crunch, visible curiosity, and important vitamins corresponding to wholesome fat, protein, and a wide range of minerals. Attempt white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, or golden sesame seeds. Or, go for toasted sesame seeds for an elevated nutty aroma.
Make a Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Smash the cucumbers with a rolling pin or the flat fringe of a large knife. Slice into 1/2″ bite-size items, then switch the cucumbers to a sieve.
- Sprinkle with a beneficiant pinch of salt; Let the cucumbers relaxation for 20 to half-hour, then drain.
- Within the meantime, whisk the dressing elements collectively in a small bowl and put aside.
- Mix the drained, salted cucumber items, dressing, edamame, inexperienced onions, and sesame seeds in a big bowl.
- Serve instantly, or marinate the cucumber edamame salad within the fridge for half-hour earlier than serving.
Caitlin’s Cooking Suggestions
- Don’t rinse the cucumbers! After salting the cucumbers, you might really feel tempted to rinse the residual salt off, however doing so would defeat the aim of salting the cucumbers within the first place. The salt attracts out the surplus moisture, and rinsing it could simply put that water proper again inside these cucumbers.
- Keep away from cucumbers with a better seed content material. I like to make use of Persian cucumbers as a result of they’re identified for being seedless or “burpless” as a result of the present seeds are minimal and tender. If Persian cucumbers aren’t an choice, I’d advocate Armenian cucumbers or Japanese cucumbers. Keep away from slicing cucumbers or English cucumbers when potential.
- Verify your edamame. Some frozen edamame is pre-cooked, whereas others require boiling the edamame first. Learn the package deal directions fastidiously and cook dinner if essential.
Serving Solutions
This Asian cucumber edamame salad might be served as a light-weight lunch, aspect dish or served over Garlic Rice or noodles like these Peanut Noodles for a heartier major. It’s additionally scrumptious with just a few nori sheets or seaweed snacks on the aspect.
When you’re in search of the proper mains to pair with this chilly salad, do this 30-Minute Teriyaki Tofu, this Cashew “Rooster,” or this Crispy Orange Tofu!
Or, for those who’re in search of extra veggie-packed aspect dish recipes, you’ll additionally love this Roasted Honeynut Squash with Miso Maple Glaze, these Simple Garlic Inexperienced Beans and this Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad!
Retailer Smashed Cucumber Salad
When saved in an hermetic container, this aspect dish will preserve for as much as 5 days within the fridge. Freezing this salad isn’t advisable.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free choice: Use tamari as a substitute of soy sauce.
- Heat salad choice: I like to recommend this salad chilly, however for those who favor a heat salad, warmth this aspect dish in a heat saucepan till heated by.
- Milder warmth: If you’re delicate to warmth or sharing this salad with the entire household, scale back or omit the chili oil and exchange it with a impartial oil like avocado oil or olive oil to stability the acidity within the dressing.
- Add veggies: When you’d wish to bulk up the veggies on this aspect dish, toss in some grated carrot, diced pink bell pepper, or finely shredded cabbage for a pleasant crunch.
- Add a protein increase: As is, this edamame salad is an effective supply of protein because of the edamame, however you’ll be able to up it much more by including your favourite chopped nuts like cashews or almonds and even some Smoky Marinated Tofu, this Simple Crispy Tofu, or Simple Baked Tempeh.
Recipe FAQs
The important thing to conserving extra water out of your cucumber edamame salad is to salt the cucumbers beforehand. This course of attracts the surplus moisture out of the smashed cucumbers and enhances the general texture of the dish by making the cucumbers crisper.
That is actually private choice, however in order for you my opinion, skin-on is greatest. It’ll preserve the cucumbers crisp, add texture to the salad, and boosts the diet of the edamame salad general.
Smashing the cucumbers breaks down their cell partitions and releases completely different taste compounds you’ll be able to’t get simply slicing them usually.
Get pleasure from! When you make this recipe and resolve to share it on Fb or Instagram, don’t neglect to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I might additionally like it for those who may go away a remark beneath with a recipe score! Thanks for the help 😊
- 8 ounces persian cucumbers
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1-3 teaspoons chili oil*
- 1 giant clove garlic crushed
- 12 ounces shelled edamame cooked if essential*
- 3 inexperienced onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
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Smash the Cucumbers: Lower the ends off of every cucumber, then slice in half lengthwise. Press on every cucumber half with a rolling pin or the flat fringe of a chef’s knife, utilizing the bottom of your palm to press every cucumber from end-to-end. Slice into ½” items, then repeat with the remaining cucumbers. Switch the cucumbers to a sieve and sprinkle a beneficiant pinch of salt over them; let relaxation for 20 to half-hour, then drain the water that comes out of them; don’t rinse.
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Put together the Dressing: Within the meantime, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, chili oil, and sesame oil in a big bowl. Combine effectively and put aside; the vinegar will mellow out the flavour of the garlic.
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Mix: Add the drained cucumber items to the bowl with the dressing together with the edamame, inexperienced onions, and sesame seeds. Combine effectively to mix; serve instantly, or let marinate within the fridge for half-hour earlier than serving chilly. Leftovers will preserve within the fridge for as much as 5 days and might be loved as a aspect or a major alongside cooked rice or noodles.
- Chili Oil: If you’re delicate to warmth, scale back or omit the chili oil. I like to recommend changing the chili oil with a neutral-tasting oil like olive oil or avocado oil although, to stability out the acidity from the dressing.
- Edamame: Some frozen edamame is pre-cooked, whereas different manufacturers require boiling the edamame first. Learn the package deal directions fastidiously and cook dinner as essential!
Energy: 659kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 39gFats: 28gSaturated Fats: 2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 6gMonounsaturated Fats: 8gSodium: 1023mgPotassium: 2104mgFiber: 17gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 607IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 382mgIron: 12mg
