Name: Asian Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
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

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

Cut 1/4-inch of each end of a mini cucumber.

Place two chopsticks on either side of the cucumber.

Then, make thin (about 1/8-inch) diagonal cuts along the cucumber, stopping when your knife hits the chopsticks.

Flip cucumber over and make the same exact cuts, in the same direction, on the other side.

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

3 from 42 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: SidesCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

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.

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

Directions

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!

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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.

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.

One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu

5 from 3 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

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

Directions

Place cubed tofu in a bowl with cornstarch and toss to evenly coat.
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.
Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
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.
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.

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