Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts and Chile Recipe
A refreshing and flavorful Cucumber Salad featuring crisp Persian cucumbers tossed in a tangy peanut butter dressing, topped with finely chopped roasted peanuts, cilantro, and red-pepper flakes. Enhanced with a hint of garlic and optional chile oil for a spicy kick, this salad is perfect as a light appetizer or side dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 6 Persian cucumbers (about 1 pound), cut lengthwise into thin spears, then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), for cucumbers
- 1/4 cup salted, roasted peanuts
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Up to 1 tablespoon water, as needed to thin dressing
- Chile oil, store-bought or homemade, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Salt the cucumbers: Toss the cut cucumbers with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander and set aside to drain excess water. This step helps keep the cucumbers crisp and prevents the salad from becoming watery.
- Prepare peanut mixture: Finely chop the salted roasted peanuts, cilantro leaves, and red-pepper flakes together until very fine. Set this mixture aside to use as a crunchy, spicy topping for the salad.
- Make the dressing and toss salad: In a large bowl, whisk together natural unsalted peanut butter, soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, granulated sugar, grated garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. If the dressing is too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon of water to thin it to a pourable consistency. Add the drained salted cucumbers to the bowl and toss well to coat evenly with the dressing.
- Assemble and serve: To serve, place half of the dressed cucumber salad on a plate, then sprinkle half of the peanut, cilantro, and red-pepper flake mixture on top. Repeat this layer with the remaining cucumber salad and peanut mixture. Drizzle with chile oil if you desire extra heat and flavor. Serve immediately to enjoy maximum freshness and crunch.
Notes
- Use Persian cucumbers for their tender skin and minimal seeds, making them perfect for salad.
- Adjust the amount of red-pepper flakes and chile oil to control the spice level according to your preference.
- If fresh cilantro is unavailable, flat-leaf parsley can be a mild substitute, though flavor will differ.
- For a gluten-free version, ensure the soy sauce is tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
- This salad is best served immediately after assembly to maintain the crisp texture of cucumbers.
- You can roast peanuts at home if they aren’t available pre-roasted.
Keywords: cucumber salad, peanut salad, Asian salad, no-cook salad, spicy cucumber salad, peanut butter dressing
