Have you tried the TikTok viral Asian Spiral Cucumber Salad? It’s perfect to eat as a snack, appetizer, or side dish. After seeing this viral fun accordion cucumber salad, I was inspired to create my own version as well.
Why is this dish so popular?
- Delicious – It’s refreshing, spicy, perfectly salted, tangy, crunchy, light, and packed with flavor!
- Quick & Easy – This dish not only takes under 15 minutes to make but it’s super easy to make.
- Fun – The spiral cut makes it a fun and a creative way to eat cucumbers.
- Healthy – You can eat a ton of this and not gain much weight!
- Versatile – It can be eaten as a snack, appetizer, or side dish.
What ingredients do you need?
- Mini or Persian cucumbers: It has a nice crunchy texture that works perfectly for this dish but feel free to use any cucumbers to your liking.
- Dressing/Sauce: soy sauce, scallion, minced garlic, chili garlic sauce, gochugaru, mirin, rice vinegar, and garlic. This dressing is packed with flavor!
Can this dish be eaten less spicy or with no spices?
Yes. Just take out the spicy ingredients and enjoy. 🙂
Can I peel the cucumber skin off?
Yes. I personally like the skin for its added crunchiness and texture but this is your cucumber. Do what you prefer. 😉
What can I eat this with?
This dish is versatile. It can be eaten by itself or as a side dish with your rice, noodles, meat, or other veggies. It can be eaten with Bibimbap or with some rice and soup.
Asian Spiral Cucumber Salad
2
servings15
minutesThis Asian Spiral Cucumber Salad recipe is easy and quick and takes under 15 minutes to make. It’s refreshing and perfect to eat as a snack, appetizer, or side dish. It’s spicy, perfectly salted, tangy, crunchy, light, and packed with flavor!
Ingredients
6 mini cucumbers or Persian cucumbers
1 stalk scallion
2 tbsp soy sauce (or less sodium soy sauce can also be used for less salt)
½ tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp gochugaru
½ tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp mirin (I used aji-mirin manjo)
2 tsp rice vinegar (I used Marukan sodium free, sugar free)
3 garlic (minced)
Directions
- Cut ends off each cucumber.
- Using a pair of thick chopsticks, place it on each side of the cucumber with the cucumber being in the center.
- Create slits perpendicularly throughout the cucumber and while cutting, make sure to cut the cucumbers close to the chopsticks while not touching the chopsticks with the knife. This will help keep the cucumber's shape while preventing it from getting cut all the way through. On the opposite side, create slits in a 45 degree angle throughout to create a nice accordion cucumber. After doing this for each, set it aside in a medium bowl. Optional: Cut in half to make the accordion cucumbers shorter on the perpendicular sliced side.
- For sauce, in a small bowl, add chopped scallions, soy sauce, Gochugaru, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and mix together.
- Combine sauce with cucumbers in a medium bowl and gently mix well together. Garnish with some black and white sesame seed and that’s it!
Recipe Video
Notes
- For those who prefer their food a bit less salty, use low-sodium soy sauce.
- For those who prefer non-spicy dishes, just take out the Gochugaru and chili garlic sauce.
- This dish can be eaten right away or later throughout the week. It’s the crunchiest when eaten fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator to be eaten later for about a week.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tag @crabcakesandkimchi on Instagram and hashtag it #crabcakesandkimchi
