Smashed Asian cucumber salad
The viral salad that swept TikTok with its refreshing smashed texture and sweet-sour sauce.
We serve it cold alongside grilled dishes on summer evenings.
Mix the salt, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely so the flavor spreads.
Lay the flat side of a wide knife blade over the cucumber and press gently with your hand until it cracks into pieces, as the smashed surface absorbs more sauce than a smooth cut.
Cut the smashed cucumber on a slant into medium bite-sized pieces to increase the surface area in contact with the sauce.
Sprinkle the salt over the cucumber, toss it gently, and let it sit briefly, as salting draws out the excess water and keeps the salad crisp rather than watery.
Add the garlic and chili oil and combine with the sauce just before serving, as the cucumber releases water and thins the sauce if we delay.
Garnish with the toasted sesame and cilantro and serve cold for a refreshing flavor.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Smashed Asian Cucumber Salad, and how to fix them:
We did not salt the cucumber beforehand or left it too long; salt it, drain the excess water, and add the sauce just before serving.
The salt and sugar did not dissolve well; stir the sauce until fully dissolved before adding it.
Too much salt or soy sauce; lighten it with extra rice vinegar and a little fresh cucumber.
The knife is thin or the pressure is too hard; use a wide blade and a gentle, gradual press.
Keep it in an airtight container and it stays good for 3 to 4 days with gradually less crunch.
Serve it fresh on the first day or two for the highest crunch.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice vinegar | Apple cider vinegar | 22 ml | Slightly stronger acidity, so start with 18 ml and add to taste |
| Soy sauce | Low-sodium soy sauce | 15 ml | Less salty, so you may add a light pinch of salt |
| Chili oil | Chili flakes with oil | 5 ml | Adjust the heat as desired |
| Cilantro | Chopped parsley | 10 g | A milder flavor for those who do not like cilantro |
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings (base) | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | 300 g | 600 g | 1200 g |
| Rice vinegar | 11 ml | 22 ml | 44 ml |
| Soy sauce | 8 ml | 15 ml | 30 ml |
| Sesame oil | 5 ml | 10 ml | 20 ml |
Add the sauce just before serving, as the cucumber releases its water over time and thins the flavor. Salting in advance preserves the crunch.
The EEINA app saves your favorite recipes, calculates them from their real ingredients, and shows your daily numbers toward your goal. Try it free now.
