The Smashed Cucumber Salad My Dad's Made 100,000 Times

Ingredients

• 20 oz cucumber (trimmed, partially peeled in stripes, and cored)
• 2 oz red bell pepper (cut into strips)
• 4 garlic (cloves, smashed, peeled, and minced)
• 2 stalk green onion (diced into small pieces)
• 0.25 oz cilantro (roughly chopped)
• 1 tsp salt (for salting)
• 1 tsp sugar (for salting)
• 0.5 tsp chili sauce
• 1.3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 0.5 tsp sesame oil
• 0.5 tbsp cooking oil

Steps

1. 1

   Trim and discard the ends of the cucumbers. Peel stripes on the cucumber to reduce bitterness while maintaining structure. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and carefully cut out the seedy cores to prevent the salad from becoming watery.

2. 2

   Using the flat side of a heavy cleaver or a rolling pin, smack down on the cucumber to crush it open, then cut into thick slices at an angle. Place the pieces into a bowl.

3. 3

   Prepare the other vegetables: cut the red bell pepper into strips, dice the green onions, roughly chop the cilantro, and mince the garlic.

4. 4

   Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar to the cucumber and bell pepper strips. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 5-6 minutes to draw out excess water.

5. 5

   While the vegetables sit, prepare the sauce by combining the chili sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, and the minced garlic. Stir until well combined.

6. 6

   Drain the accumulated water from the cucumber and bell pepper mixture.

7. 7

   Add the chopped green onions and the prepared sauce to the vegetables. Mix well to distribute.

8. 8

   Add the chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and cooking oil. Mix well, plate, and serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled.

Notes

Removing the seedy cores is essential for keeping the cucumbers crunchy. You can adjust the amounts of seasoning to your preference. The salad can be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• salad
• Chinese
• vegetarian
• side dish
• cold dish
• no-cook