Combine traditional American cucumber salad with Asian rice vinegar and you have the most delicious Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe. It works as an accent relish to grilled flank steak or fish, it is equally satisfying as a side dish, and is always a hit at a summer picnic.
Cucumber Love
Our family loves cucumbers. We eat as many as the garden produces each week and I often have to supplement with a trip to the farmer's market. For many year peeled and sliced cucumbers were the only type my kiddos would eat… until they discovered my Asian Cucumber Onion Salad.
Cucumber onion salad with a splash of vinegar reminds me of my childhood summers. My mother always grew wonderful gardens choke full of fresh cucumbers. Even now my urban kids delight in going out to Grandma’s garden to pick fresh vegetables.
Rice Vinegar = Mild Flavor
As an adult living in Japan I discovered rice vinegar. It’s slightly sweeter than white vinegar but still packs a tangy punch that satisfies. Japanese cooks use rice vinegar mixed with sugar and salt to flavor sushi rice, it’s one reason sushi is so delicious! Luckily rice vinegar is also easy to find in the US, it might be hiding in your grocer store’s international food section.
Using ice vinegar makes traditional cucumber onion salad more attractive to young food palates. I've also replaced the typical white onions in this salad with scallions, they are a bit more mild than raw onion.
- 1 cup carrots (finely diced )
- 1 cup ½ peeled and seeded cucumber (diced)
- 2 green onions (diced)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/2 - 1 tsp kosher salt (or table salt, to taste)
- Mix all ingredients together and chill for at least one hour.
- Stir before serving
- This salad stores well and the flavors continue to develop the longer it sits.
Tip: Use rice vinegar to make sushi rice and form it into unfilled onigiri (Japanese rice balls) for a delicious Asian treat. Serve it with grilled fish or chicken and Asian Cucumber Salad.
I hope you trying making this Easy Asian Cucumber Salad, it's a delicious twist on cucumber-onion salad.
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Stephanie says
Growing up we had a garden at my grandmother’s house and I can relate to your memories of picking vegetables. After we picked the cucumbers my grandmother always made her “vinegar cucumbers,” which were one of my favorite foods as a child. This reminds me of her recipe and I can’t wait to try it!
Bren says
Vinegar cucumbers were my grandma’s favorite summer salad too!