Crunchy, Zesty and Creamy: My new favourite Thai cucumber salad with a sweet and spicy peanut butter dressing.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Cool, crisp cucumber, crunchy peanuts, fresh herbs, and a creamy, tangy, and subtly sweet peanut butter dressing that will have you licking the bowl.
Why This Cucumber Salad Salad Will Be Your New Go-To:
- Flavour Explosion: A perfect balance of sweet, spicy, salty, and umami.
- Refreshing: Cucumber is incredibly hydrating and cooling for a warm day.
- Quick & Easy: No cooking, only chopping and mixing, making it ideal for busy days.
- Diet-Friendly: Naturally vegan and can be made gluten-free with tamari.
Ingredient You’ll Need
For the Salad:
- Chinese or Persian Cucumbers, cut into strips
- Crunchiness: Use a combination of white sesame seeds (toasted) and crushed peanuts for the crunch.
- Herbs: Green Onion, Red Chillies (optional)
- Chilli: I use Korean Gochugaru Chilli Powder for its subtly sweetness. You can use either Kashmiri chilli powder, smoked paprika or red chilli flakes.
For the Salad Dressing:
- Creamy Peanut Butter, natural and unsweetened is the best
- Brown Sugar, maple syrup or agave nectar for the sweetness
- Toasted Sesame Oil for the nutty flavour
- Light Soy Sauce or tamari (for a gluten free salad)
- Lime Juice or rice vinegar for the tanginess
- Minced Garlic, and Salt
Add-Ins:
- Carrots: Thinly sliced, julienned, or grated carrots.
- Bell Peppers: Sliced red or yellow bell peppers.
- Edamame: Shelled edamame can add a boost of protein.
- Onion: Thinly sliced red onion.
How To Make Cucumber Salad
1. Cut the Cucumber:
- Simply slice cucumbers into even size rounds. If using an Indian cucumber, you might want to peel it first (or peel partially for stripes) and then slice.
- Next, stack the cucumber slices and cut them into even size sticks. This helps keep the salad crisp.
2. Make the Peanut Butter Sauce:
- In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce (or tamari), sugar, minced garlic, salt to taste, and sesame oil. Whisk vigorously until smooth.
- The dressing will be quite thick initially. Gradually add 2 tablespoons of room temperature water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously until the sauce reaches desired pourable consistency.
Taste and adjust seasonings – you might want more lime for tang, more sugar for sweetness, or a pinch of salt.
3. Dress the Salad:
- In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the sliced cucumber, and the salad dressing.
- Sprinkle, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, chopped green onion, and Gochugaru or smoked red paprika. Gently mix, making sure each piece of cucumber is coated with the sauce.
This Thai cucumber salad is best enjoyed fresh to maintain the crispness of the cucumber.
Serve this salad as a side with Thai Curry and Jasmine rice, or a simple stir fry. Pairs wonderfully with crispy tofu, Shirataki Noodles stir fry, or just as a light and refreshing snack.
More Asian Salad Recipes for you
- Pomelo Salad
- Green Papaya Salad
- Crispy Noodle Salad
- Korean Cucumber Salad
- Indian Cucumber Kosambari
- Smashed Cucumber Salad
Get all my Salad Recipes here or you can buy my ebook with 40+ Healthy Salad Recipes.
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Peanut Butter Cucumber Salad Recipe
Crunchy, Zesty and Creamy: My new favourite Thai cucumber salad with a sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce.
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Servings: 2 adults
Calories: 175kcal
- Salad Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients For Salad
- 2 Persian Cucumbers
- 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, crushed
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon Korean red chilli flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
Ingredients For Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened peanut butter (get recipe)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 lime juice
Instructions
- Simply slice cucumbers into even size rounds. If using an Indian cucumber, you might want to peel it first (or peel partially for stripes) and then slice. Next, stack the cucumber slices and cut them into even size sticks. This helps keep the salad crisp.
- In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce (or tamari), sugar, minced garlic, salt to taste, and sesame oil. Whisk vigorously until smooth.
- The dressing will be quite thick initially. Gradually add 2 tablespoons of room temperature water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously until the sauce reaches desired pourable consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasonings – you might want more lime for tang, more sugar for sweetness, or a pinch of salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the sliced cucumber, and the salad dressing. Sprinkle, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, chopped green onion, and Gochugaru or smoked red paprika. Gently mix, making sure each piece of cucumber is coated with the sauce.
- Thai Cucumber Salad is ready to serve!
Recipe Notes:
- If cucumbers are watery, you can lightly salt them and let them sit for 10-15 minutes, then pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.
- Make Ahead (Partially): You can prepare the peanut butter sauce and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Chop the cucumber and other fresh ingredients just before serving for optimal freshness.
- Spice Level: Adjust the amount of chilli to your preference. For more, add extra or a dash of sriracha to the dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 861mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
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