The internet has been going crazy about this Asian cucumber salad that’s bursting with flavor and crunch. The perfect blend of crisp cucumber slices, tangy rice vinegar, umami-rich soy sauce, with a hint of sweetness. But instead of the traditional sesame seeds for texture, when paired with our macadamia finger lime rayu, it transforms into something far more interesting and intensely satiating. Whether you’re serving it as a side dish or enjoying it on its own, this cucumber salad will bring a light, fresh touch to any meal.

What also makes this recipe so special is how fast and easy it is to prepare. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, you can have a vibrant and healthy dish on the table in no time. This salad pairs well with grilled meats, stir-fries, or even as a palate-cleansing appetizer on crackers with soft cheese.

Cool as a cucumber across the planet

Though cucumber salad is currently being popularised, it’s always been a favorite dish found across Asia, with each region adding its own twist. In Chinese cuisine, cucumber salads are often served cold and feature bold flavors like garlic, chili oil, and vinegar. They’re a refreshing counterpoint to spicy dishes, offering a cooling effect that balances out heat-heavy meals like Sichuan stir-fries or hot pot. In Japan, sunomono is a popular cucumber salad made with thinly sliced cucumbers, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. This version is typically served as a side dish or palate cleanser, pairing well with sushi or tempura. In Thailand cucumber salad is often served alongside spicy dishes like satay or larb, combined with lime juice, fish sauce, and sometimes a kick of red chili for a vibrant, tangy flavor profile.

Beyond Asia, cucumber salads also play a role in other culinary traditions. In Middle Eastern cuisine, cucumbers are often mixed with yogurt, garlic, and mint to create refreshing salads like tzatziki, which can be used as a dip or a cooling accompaniment to grilled meats. Eastern European cuisines feature variations such as the classic Russian “ogurtsy,” a salad made with sour cream, dill, and sometimes radishes. In Mexican cuisine cucumber containing salsa is an essential part of multitudes of recipes countrywide. This simple vegetables adaptability makes it a favorite world over, used to complement diverse dishes or add a fresh, crisp element to meals in nearly every culture across the planet.

Looking for other healthy salad recipes? World’s best kale and brussels sprout salad

@logagm
Best way to eat an entire cucumber
♬ original sound – Logan

@careesekwok
KOREAN SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD ~150cals, 12g fiber 12pz persian cucumbers 1tbs soy sauce 1tbs rice vinegar 1tbs gochugaru 1tsp monkfruit sweetener 1tbs sesame seeds #volumeeating #easymeals #asianrecipes #macrofriendly #keto #healthyrecipes #macros #cucumbers #spicycucumbers #cucumbersalad #salad #banchan #koreanfood #wholefoods #vegetarian #weightloss #caloriedeficit #vegan #mealprep #mealprepideas #fiber
♬ original sound – Careese

@hellolisalin
This smashed cucumber salad is the PERFECT summer salad! 🥒🥗 Link to full recipe in bio #chinesefood #tiktokfood #foryou #veganrecipes
♬ original sound – Lisa Lin

Top 5 viral cucumber salad trends

Cucumber salads have been all the rage this past here, here’s some other’s to try if you enjoy this one as much as we do!

Smashed cucumber salad: This Chinese-inspired dish features cucumbers that are smashed to create rough edges, allowing them to absorb more of the tangy, garlicky dressing made with soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.
Cucumber dumpling salad: A creative take on cucumber salad where cucumber slices are shaped into dumpling-like folds and dressed with a light soy, ginger, and sesame sauce, offering a playful texture and aesthetic.
Spicy Asian cucumber salad: This salad combines crunchy cucumbers with chili oil, garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar, delivering a refreshing yet fiery dish that balances heat with coolness.
Korean cucumber salad: Known as “oi muchim,” this spicy and slightly sweet salad mixes cucumbers with gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), garlic, sesame oil, and a touch of sugar for a bold, flavorful bite.
Cucumber feta salad: A Mediterranean twist on cucumber salad, featuring cucumbers tossed with creamy feta, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs like dill or mint, offering a rich yet refreshing combination.

No matter how your prepare it, someone somewhere is getting excited about the addition of cucumber salad to their lives. It’s time to get on the trend… and belive it or not, 10 years ago, I wouldn’t even eat it on a sandwich, now Ican’t get enough of the stuff!

Preparing your cucumber perfectly

Since it’s techincally the main event, how you prepare your cucumber matters. Whilst, this recipe is meant to be a simple and easy 5-minute creation, you can do a few extra steps to amplify your culinary experience just a little bit further.

Cut it the way you wish to consume it. We’ve gone with big and chunky pieces on this occasion but spiralised and smashed will also work
Pre-salt your cucumber and let it sit for around 20 min to get some of the moisture out (drain your cucumbers before using) to get a bigger crunch.
Use the freshest cucumbers you can find to avoid a soggy salad experience.

Cucumber in all its forms pairs really well withour macadamia finger lime rayu. We highly recommend trying out other variations in other recipes yourself!

A note on ingredients:

When you make recipes with so few components it pays to make them count with quality ingredients.

incredible 5-minute asian cucumber salad — Paired Perfectly.

Cucumbers: Whilst pretty much any cucumber would do, I tend to find the Lebanese ones are a little bit nicer in texture and slightly sweeter than the others.

Soy sauce: I’ve always used light soy or gluten-free tamari, but you could easily substitute shoyu, liquid aminos or coconut aminos. You would likely find that a dark soy sauce is a little overpowering in this dish and probably isn’t advisable.

Sesame seeds: Don’t worry if you can only find white sesame seeds, you don’t need to have both types for flavour purposes (and there are both in the Rayu anyway)

Rice wine vinegar: If you can’t find this or just don’t have any on hand, you really can use any mild flavored vinegar (even apple cider)

Spring onions: If you are using rayu in your cucumber salad, you don’t actually need the spring onions due to the high garlic content, but if you have them they definitely enhance the overall flavour.