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30 Minutes or Less

Asian Cucumber Salad

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spiralized cucumber being lifted off a plate of asian cucumber salad

Cool and refreshing Asian cucumber salad! Full of flavor, and easy to throw together in a few simple steps. The perfect side dish or healthy lunch recipe.

overhead image of asian cucumber salad on a plate with a spoon

What You’ll Need To Make Asian Cucumber Salad

Mini Cucumbers – Six mini seedless cucumbers are the star of this recipe. I cut mine into fun little spirals for my salad, but you can simply slice them instead. If slicing, I recommend a mandolin to help slice the cucumbers as thin as possible.

Fresh Ginger – Fresh ginger goes a long way in this Asian cucumber salad! Start by cutting about a 1-inch piece from a knob of whole ginger. Then, peel your ginger with either a spoon or a vegetable peeler. Once peeled, run the ginger along a microplane or the fine side of a box grater.

Rice Vinegar – For a hint of acidity, rice vinegar tastes best. However, if you don’t have any, feel free to use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in its place.

Sriracha – While optional, I recommend a tiny drop of sriracha to round out the flavors in this recipe. For a mild version, start with just 1/2 teaspoon. Or, for a spicy Asian cucumber salad, add upwards of 1-2 teaspoons.

close-up image of asian cucumber salad on a plate

How to Cut Cucumbers

  1. Cut 1/4-inch of each end of a mini cucumber.
  2. Place two chopsticks on either side of the cucumber.
  3. Then, make thin (about 1/8-inch) diagonal cuts along the cucumber, stopping when your knife hits the chopsticks.
  4. Flip cucumber over and make the same exact cuts, in the same direction, on the other side.
  5. Lastly, cut each the cucumber in half, then add them to a bowl for this recipe!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: For a 100% gluten-free Asian cucumber salad, use tamari in place of the soy sauce. Tamari tastes just like soy sauce, but unlike soy sauce, is certified gluten-free!

Make it Vegan: Use maple syrup in place of the honey for a completely vegan side dish.

asian cucumber salad on a plate with sriracha on the side
3.74 from 41 votes

Asian Cucumber Salad

Cool and refreshing Asian cucumber salad! Full of flavor, and easy to throw together in a few simple steps. The perfect side dish or healthy lunch recipe.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 mini cucumbers, spiralized (see Notes) or thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • pinch of sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Place cucumber in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, then let sit for 10-15 minutes while you make the dressing.
  • Whisk together the ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, maple syrup, and sriracha in a small bowl.
  • Check on the cucumbers, and drain the water that’s gathered at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Add dressing, scallions, and sesame seeds to the cucumbers and toss to coat. Either serve immediately or let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Notes

  • How to Cut “Spiralized” Cucumber: Cut off each end of a cucumber, then place two chopsticks on either long side of the cucumber. Then, make thin diagonal cuts along the cucumber, stopping when your knife hits the chopsticks. Flip cucumber over and make the same cuts on the other side. Last, slice each cucumber in half, now they’re ready for this recipe!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

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    mongolian chicken in a skillet

    Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.

    overhead image of mongolian chicken on a plate over cauliflower rice

    What You’ll Need To Make Mongolian Chicken

    Chicken Breast – Thinly slice two large, boneless and skinless chicken breasts against the grain. Once sliced, it’s ready to use in this recipe! And for extra crispy chicken pieces, we start by coating them in corn starch before cooking. However, if you don’t have any corn starch, you can use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch in its place. Or, you can skip this step altogether!

    Scallions – Slice three whole scallions (white and green part) however large or small you’d like. I typically slice mine in 2-inch pieces, since I love biting into large pieces of sautéed scallions in my mongolian chicken.

    Ginger – If using fresh, whole ginger, slice off a 1-inch knob of ginger and remove the skin. Then, run your piece of ginger along a microplane grater until its finely grated. Or, to save time, I recommend buying a jar of minced ginger, and using that in this recipe instead!

    Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is the classic addition to this Chinese-inspired recipe. However, if gluten-free, use tamari in place of the soy sauce. Or, for a slightly healthier version, use reduced sodium soy sauce instead!

    close-up image of mongolian chicken in a skillet

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Paleo: Turn this into an easy paleo dinner recipe by replacing the corn starch with tapioca starch, and using coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Then, serve your cooked chicken over cauliflower rice – yum.

    Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mongolian chicken, make sure the corn starch you use is entirely gluten-free, and replace the soy sauce with an equal amount of tamari. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce, and tastes exactly the same!

    overhead image of mongolian chicken in a skillet.

    Interested In More Chicken Recipes? Try These!

    No ratings yet

    20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

    Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, thinly sliced
    • salt, to taste
    • 1/4 cup corn starch, or arrowroot starch
    • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
    • 3 scallions, sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
    • 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari if gluten-free

    Instructions

    • Season chicken breast with salt, then toss in corn starch to coat.
    • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, once hot add in the chicken – cook until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
    • Lower heat to medium and add in the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
    • Whisk the corn starch into the vegetable broth, then pour into the skillet along with the soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened.
    • Once thick, add chicken back into the skillet and toss in sauce, then serve.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu

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    overhead close-up image of kung pao tofu in a pan

    This kung pao tofu will quickly become one of your favorite dinner recipes! One pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this intensely flavorful meal. This kung pao tofu is also entirely vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free!

    kung pao tofu on a plate over rice, with sesame seeds on top

    What You’ll Need

    Extra Firm Tofu – Extra firm tofu is the key to getting it super crispy! It will hold its shapes once cut and cooked, forming these little golden brown nuggets of perfection. Tofu is also the perfect blank canvas to really any recipe! It has very little flavor on its own, but absorbs all the flavors it’s paired with. The tofu in this recipe soaks up all of our delicious kung pao sauce, making it just incredible!

    Red and Green Bell Peppers – Two bell peppers give this dish incredible color and brightness! Start by removing the core and any seeds from each pepper. Then, chop them into similarly-sized pieces. Stir fry the bell peppers for only a couple of minutes in the fourth step of this recipe. The goal is to get them tender, while still maintaining their bite.

    Unsalted Cashews or Peanuts – You’ll find either cashews or peanuts in most kung pao recipes. They, too, give this overall dish the perfect crunchy texture that pairs beautifully with our smooth and tangy sauce. However, if you don’t like nuts, you can simply leave them out of your kung pao tofu.

    kung pao tofu in a pan

    Top Tips

    • Oil your pan well before frying up the tofu. If not enough oil is used, your tofu might stick to the pan – losing that delicious outer, crisp coating!
    • For an even saucier vegetable stir fry, double the sauce recipe! This kung pao tofu sauce is seriously so good, you’ll practically want to drink it. So don’t skimp on the sauce, and make as much as you’d like!
    • Feel free to turn this into a kung pao chicken recipe instead! To do this, simply replace the tofu with 2-inch cubes of chicken and cook them in the second step until fully cooked through. Then, use your chicken just as you would the tofu in the remainder of the recipe.
    close-up image of kung pao tofu on a plate over rice

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    • Make it Gluten-Free: To ensure this recipe is completely gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce and tastes exactly the same!
    • Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version, simple leave out the cashews or peanuts in this recipe. But if you’d still like that nutty flavor, you can add in a couple tablespoons of sesame seeds instead.
    overhead close-up image of kung pao tofu in a pan
    4.84 from 6 votes

    One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu

    This kung pao tofu will quickly become one of your favorite dinner recipes! One pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this intensely flavorful meal. This kung pao tofu is also entirely vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    For the tofu:

    • 14 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons sesame oil or avocado oil

    For the veggies:

    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2-inch piece ginger, grated
    • 3 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
    • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews or peanuts

    For the sauce:

    • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce, use Tamari for gluten-free
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons corn starch
    • 1 teaspoon sriracha
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

    Instructions

    • Place cubed tofu in a bowl with cornstarch and toss to evenly coat.
      Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-1
    • Heat sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then fry tofu in a single layer for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove cooked tofu and set aside.
      Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-2
    • Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
      Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-3
    • Add in red and green bell peppers, sauté for 2-3 minutes then place tofu back into pan along with green parts of scallions and cashews or peanuts.
      Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-4
    • Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl, then pour into pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until sauce has thickened then serve over rice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    30 Minutes or Less

    Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls

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    close-up overhead image of bang bang shrimp bowl with cucumber, edamame, pickled red onion, and white rice

    For a quick, easy, and delicious dinner – make these perfect bang bang shrimp bowls! Crispy cooked shrimp is tossed in a spicy, tangy bang bang sauce, then spooned over rice and a variety of veggies. Whip together this restaurant-quality meal in under 15 minutes, I promise you won’t regret it!

    bang bang shrimp bowl with shrimp, cucumber, edamame, and pickled red onion

    What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

    Shrimp – Do yourself a favor and purchase peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe. Then, if the tails haven’t already been removed, go ahead and remove them before cooking the shrimp. If left one, the shrimp tails are a nightmare to remove once covered in bang bang sauce. So, make life a little easier and strip those shrimp before cooking!

    Harissa Paste – Harissa is chili paste commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. It’s delightfully spicy and loaded with delicious flavor. You should be able to find harissa paste at your local grocery store in either the spice aisle or ethnic food aisle. Though if you can’t find harissa paste available for purchase, there are a few homemade recipes floating around on the internet, such as this one.

    Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos – A touch of soy sauce adds a bit of tang to our bang bang shrimp sauce. It’s the perfect addition to help round out the savory flavors! Though if you’re paleo or currently on Whole30, feel free to use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce in this recipe. It’ll provide that same irresistible briny flavor!

    Cooked Rice – Use whatever kind of rice you’d like! White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice… you get the idea. The use of cauliflower rice makes for a great low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 option!

    Top Tips

    • Get the avocado oil in your skillet hot before adding in the shrimp. We want a nice, golden brown and crispy crust on our shrimp, and can only achieve this by cooking them in very hot oil. And thanks to the use of high heat, the shrimp will only take a few minutes per side to cook!
    • You can make this bang bang shrimp recipe in the air fryer if you’d like! To do this, simply add your shrimp to an air fryer basket, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, then cook at 400° Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Once shrimp is fully cooked, toss in the bang bang sauce and continue with the recipe as normal.
    • Ditch the bowls and serve this easy seafood dish however you’d like! Poke each shrimp with a toothpick to serve as a delicious appetizer. Or, place in lettuce wraps for super healthy bang bang shrimp tacos!

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Paleo/Whole30 – For a paleo or Whole30 meal, be sure to use compliant mayo, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and cauliflower rice in place of white or brown rice.

    Make it Gluten-Free – The only ingredient in this dish which contains trace amounts of gluten is the soy sauce. Therefore, use tamari in place of the soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free, I promise you won’t be able to taste the difference!

    Make it Vegan – Fry up some cubed tofu in a bit of avocado oil (similar to how you would the shrimp) then use a vegan mayo for your sauce. Once the tofu’s crispy, add it to your sauce and serve it over bowls of rice and veggies!

    close-up overhead image of bang bang shrimp bowl with cucumber, edamame, pickled red onion, and white rice
    5 from 1 vote

    Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls

    For a quick, easy, and delicious dinner – make these perfect bang bang shrimp bowls! Crispy cooked shrimp is tossed in a spicy, tangy bang bang sauce, then spooned over rice and a variety of veggies. Whip together this restaurant-quality meal in under 15 minutes, I promise you won’t regret it!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    For the shrimp:

    • 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
    • 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or any neutral vegetable oil
    • pinch of salt

    For the bang bang sauce:

    • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 tablespoon harissa paste
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
    • 1 teaspoon lime juice

    For the bowls:

    • Cooked white or brown rice
    • Scallions, chopped
    • Pickled veggies
    • Sesame seeds
    • Cucumber, thinly sliced
    • Edamame

    Instructions

    • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel, season with a pinch of salt, then place in skillet and cook about 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and slightly crispy.
    • Mix together all bang bang sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Add cooked shrimp to bowl and toss to coat in sauce.
    • Place bang bang shrimp over bowls of rice, and finish off with whatever other toppings you’d like.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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