Bright, fresh, and full of zing! This Quick Pickled Asian Cucumber Salad is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy, with crunchy cucumbers, crisp onion, and a kick of chilli. It’s a breeze to whip up and makes a delicious side dish or topping. Ready in no time and bursting with flavour—you’re going to love this one!
This Quick Pickled Asian Cucumber Salad is the ultimate sidekick to your favourite meals. Its vibrant flavours pair perfectly with rich curries, stir-fries, grilled meats, or even as a refreshing topper for bao buns, banh mi’s or tacos. The crunch of the cucumbers and the gentle heat of the chilli bring a bright contrast to heartier dishes, making it a versatile addition to any meal.
While this salad is best enjoyed fresh on the day it’s made, you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The flavours will deepen slightly, but the cucumbers may lose some of their crunch. For the best experience, serve it chilled and let the pickling liquid work its magic just long enough to enhance every bite!
Quick Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 Lebanese cucumbers
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced (deseeded for less heat if desired)
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
- Place caster sugar, water, rice wine vinegar and salt into a small saucepan. Bring just to the boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, roughly peel the cucumbers then slice in half lengthways. Using the teaspoon, drag it along the centre of each cucumber half to deseed them, discarding the seeds. Once deseeded, cut into slices.
- Add the cucumber, red onion, chilli and coriander to the pickling liquid and stir to combine. Cover and chill until required.
Notes
- MEASUREMENTS
We use Australian metric measurements. 1 teaspoon = 5ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml and 1 cup = 250ml
We use extra large eggs weighing approximately 59g each - WHAT TO SERVE WITH THE CUCUMBER SALAD
These pickled go beautifully with my Coriander & Hoisin Chicken Wings or them with your next Satay chicken or Beef sticks. They are a match made in heaven. You can, if you are like me, simply just eat them as it or with some rice. Yummy - THE CUCUMBER
You can use any cucumber you like here. I just prefer the taste and texture of a Lebanese cucumber. But you could try with continental, regular or baby cucumbers too.
If you need to make a larger quantity, just “up” the cucumber (and the red onion). There is quite a lot of pickling liquid so it can easily take it.
You may also enjoy
Leave a Reply