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Refreshing Miso Smashed Cucumber Salad
This Asian-inspired cucumber salad is the perfect side dish or snack to enjoy anytime you can get your hands on fresh cucumbers!
Crisp fresh cucumbers, crunchy-nutty peanuts, the savory umami taste of miso paste, sweet raw honey, and tangy fresh lime all create something really special – considering how simple this is to make!
Layers of texture and flavors that will leave you feeling refreshed and satisfied.
The secret to this salad lies in the smashing of the cucumbers, which releases their natural enzymes and creates a tender, slightly softened texture.
Paired with the creamy miso dressing, crunchy peanuts, and fresh cilantro, this salad is absolutely crave-worthy!
Give our Miso Smashed Cucumber Salad a try and experience the perfect blend of refreshing and savory flavors.
Why smash cucumbers?
This is a technique popular in Chinese cuisine that creates a craggy, porous texture that allows them to absorb more flavor and dressing, resulting in a very interesting, ultra-flavorful, and refreshing salad.
🌀Enhanced Flavor Absorption: The irregular surface created by smashing allows the dressing to penetrate the cucumber more effectively, leading to a more flavorful salad.
💥Better Texture: Smashing creates a mix of textures, with some areas remaining crisp and others becoming tender, providing a more interesting and satisfying eating experience.
💦Faster Water Release: Smashing disrupts the cucumber’s internal structure, allowing it to release water more quickly, resulting in a less watery salad.
📜Classic Chinese Technique: This technique, known as “pai huang gua” (拍黄瓜), is a staple in Chinese cuisine, particularly in Sichuan cuisine, and is a popular way to prepare cucumber salads.
✨Easy to do: You can use a cleaver, rolling pin, meat tenderizer, or even your hands to smash the cucumbers.
Cucumbers are low in calories and contain a good amount of water and soluble fiber, making them very hydrating and great for weight loss and overall health.
English cucumbers are usually sweeter and milder than the regular, garden cucumbers we all grew up with, which have large seeds, and often a more bitter flavor.
The skin of English cucumbers is thinner and doesn’t need to be peeled.
⚠️Cucumbers are in the top 10 for high pesticides and are on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list, designed to help us quickly decide which produce should be purchased USDA organic.
I recommend that the cucumbers you eat be organic, or local garden grown if possible.
The fresh lime zest really elevates your flavor game! Don’t skip it!
🍋 ALWAYS use freshly-squeezed lime juice from an actual fresh lime. Bottled lime juice from the store will give your dish a strange metallic or overly acidic taste. We want this to taste super bright and fresh.
🔪Do you like chopping veggies?
I’ve found it to be very relaxing for me. Chopping veggies forces me to slow down, calm down, and be present.
It’s incredibly soothing after a busy day and the finished result always makes me feel a great sense of accomplishment because my family will be eating all of these beautifully prepared fresh vegetables.
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 English cucumbers or 4 medium garden cucumbers
- 1 shallot or small red onion, very finely diced
- 1/4 cup raw peanuts, coarsely chopped
- small handful chopped fresh cilantro
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 2 Tbsps raw honey
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 fresh lime, juice and zest
Instructions:
Wash and pat dry your cucumbers.
Place each cucumber on a clean cutting board.
Slice in half lengthwise, then slice those long pieces in half crosswise.
Place your cucumber sections, cut side down, on the board. Using the flat side of your large chef’s knife, carefully apply some pressure to slightly smash the cucumber open as shown in the video.
Alternatively, you can use a cleaver, rolling pin, meat tenderizer, or even your hands to smash the cucumbers.
Slice your smashed cucumber into bite-sized pieces at an angle as shown.
In a medium bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until very smooth.
Add in your smashed cucumber pieces, shallot, peanuts, and fresh cilantro. Toss to coat.
Enjoy immediately or chill in the fridge for a few hours while the flavors meld together.
💚Rachel
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers or 4 medium garden cucumbers
- 1 shallot or small red onion, very finely diced
- 1/4 cup raw peanuts, coarsely chopped
- small handful chopped fresh cilantro
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 2 Tbsps raw honey
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 fresh lime, juice and zest
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry your cucumbers.
- Place each cucumber on a clean cutting board.
- Slice in half lengthwise, then slice those long pieces in half crosswise.
- Place your cucumber sections, cut side down, on the board. Using the flat side of your large chef's knife, carefully apply some pressure to slightly smash the cucumber open as shown in the video. Alternatively, you can use a cleaver, rolling pin, meat tenderizer, or even your hands to smash the cucumbers.
- Slice your smashed cucumber into bite-sized pieces at an angle as shown.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until very smooth.
- Add in your smashed cucumber pieces, shallot, peanuts, and fresh cilantro. Toss to coat.
- Enjoy immediately or chill in the fridge for a few hours while the flavors meld together.
© 2025 © Copyright CleanFoodCrush ® LLC 2014-2024 - Rachel Maser - CleanFoodCrush.com
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