Delicious and Refreshing Thai Cucumber Salad
Posted August 24, 2023 by: Admin
This Thai Cucumber Salad is incredibly simple to prepare! It combines Asian-inspired ingredients to create a refreshing, crunchy, and delightful salad.
This easy Thai Cucumber Salad features fresh vegetables and a delicious Asian-inspired dressing. It’s a healthy and flavorful salad that goes beyond being just a garnish.
Refreshing cucumbers, red onions, crunchy peanuts, spicy Thai chilies, and herbaceous coriander are mixed with a homemade Thai dressing that adds a punch of flavor to this anything-but-boring salad.
Thai Flavor
If I had to choose one Asian cuisine over another, Thai would win every single time. With its simple ingredients and bold flavors, it’s the best of the best! I’m a huge fan of Thai food, and that’s why I always try to explore and learn more about the incredible flavors it has to offer. That’s how this recipe came to life!
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for FULL ingredient amounts and instructions, or click the “Go to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
Salad
- Cucumbers – I used English cucumbers, sliced into 1/4″ thick slices.
- Onion – Red onion, cut in half and sliced 1/4″ thick.
- Peanuts – I used roasted, crushed peanuts.
- Cilantro – Freshly chopped!
- Thai Chilies: Cut into thin slices. *These are optional to add spice!
Dressing
- Sesame Oil – You can use toasted or regular!
- Lime Juice – I used freshly squeezed!
- Fish sauce – This really enhances the flavor of the salad.
- Garlic – Fresh is best! Chopped.
- Sugar – Just granulated!
- Salt to taste.
How to Make Thai Cucumber Salad
- Combine Ingredients: Add the salad ingredients to a large salad bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon of crushed peanuts.
- Prepare the Dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and toss well to coat.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with the reserved peanuts and serve immediately.
Make it in Advance
You can make this salad the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight so the cucumbers soak up all that delicious dressing. However, I would not recommend making this salad too far in advance as the cucumbers could become soggy. You still want that nice, crunchy texture!
Additions
Looking for more flavor? Want to use up some forgotten ingredients in your fridge? This salad can be enhanced by adding a few different ingredients. Use these suggestions for inspiration:
- Broccoli
- Grated papaya
- Corn
- Bean sprouts
- Peas
- Bell pepper
- Crunchy noodles
- Chickpeas/beans
- Apple
- Pear
What to Serve with Your Salad
This salad is a great option to serve as a light meal, snack, or even a healthy lunch! If you want to make it a complete dinner, I would recommend pairing this dish with my Baked Thai Salmon or Crockpot Thai Chicken to complement the Thai-inspired flavors!
Actually, you can serve this amazing salad with anything you desire. It’s just that good!
Leftovers
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
