Looking for a fresh take on cucumber salad? Smash them. This technique is not a new creation, by any means. However, given how easy it is to make, it ought to be more popular. When cucumbers are crushed, it creates a rustic, craggy surface that makes them suitable for picking up pockets of delicious soy ginger & garlic dressing. A generous sprinkle of furikake allows tiny sesame seeds to hide in the little nooks and crannies, offering crunch in every bite. The dressing is easy to whip up on the fly. It’s simply made with minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar … maybe a touch of water & sugar to balance out the flavors. Just be sure to have your garlic and ginger minced in advance. Fortunately, those frozen trays of ginger and garlic cubes, found in your local supermarket’s freezer section, work really well for a dressing like this. Leave the cutting board for another day. Save cucumber kimchi for next season. If your cucumbers are blooming late in your urban garden, try serving this up as a side salad to every meal until you run out of your cuke supply.
Smashed Cucumber Salad with Soy Ginger & Garlic Dressing
Yields 2 – 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 large American cucumbers (not English), smashed
2 cubes frozen minced ginger (or 2 tsp minced ginger)
2 cubes frozen minced garlic (or 2 tsp minced garlic)
2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp light brown sugar (or to taste)
Water, optional, to taste
Furikake, as garnish
Instructions:
- Cut off the ends of the cucumbers. Slice each cucumber in half width-wise to get 4 pieces of cucumber.
- Place the 4 pieces of cucumber in a zip-top bag and close loosely, allowing a small amount of air to escape through the opening.
- Using a rolling pin or a mallet, smash the enclosed cucumbers into bite-sized rustic pieces. Place the smashed cucumber in a bowl.Â
- In a separate bowl, add the cubes of frozen minced ginger and frozen minced garlic. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mix thoroughly, crushing the minced ginger and minced garlic with the back of your spoon. Alternatively, allow the ginger and garlic to thaw for approximately 5 minutes. Taste the dressing, adding water to dilute flavor (only if necessary). Keep in mind that the cucumbers naturally release water, so adding additional water is not always needed.
Assembly:
Pour the soy ginger & garlic dressing over the smashed cucumbers. Thoroughly combine and let sit for 5 minutes before serving or refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, use a slotted spoon to grab cucumbers and transfer onto a plate, allowing any excess dressing to remain in the bowl. Sprinkle the smashed cucumber salad with furikake. Enjoy!