Cucumber noodle salad with a sharp lemongrass infused dressing topped with sesame seeds for the perfect easy side dish or simple summer salad.
There isn’t much to this recipe. Cucumbers and dressing. That’s it. But the dressing is fabulous and the cucumber isn’t just sliced into rounds, it’s peeled into ribbons. And those two things right there are what make this recipe spectacular. The magic is in the simplicity. It’s amazing how the flavor and texture of something can change if you just present it differently – take these cucumbers as a perfect example. They could be cut into rounds, or diced, or made into seedless boats, but in this cucumber ribbons salad I opted to use a veggie peeled and make delicate long cucumber noodles out of them. This changes everything for this dish and creates a completely different eating experience! So when the cucumbers are turned into this cucumber noodle salad everything changes! While you could use a spiralizer for this recipe I actually preferred to just use my veggie peeler, as I did not want the cucumber in spirals, I wanted them more in ribbons!
Then there’s the dressing – a combination of all my favorite Asian flavors; lemongrass, tamari, mirin, and ginger. All of these get whisked together for a light and Asina inspired dressing for this cucumber noodle salad. The final finishing touch is a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. Make sure they are toasted though — the raw ones don’t have quite as much flavor as the toasted ones! And to toast them you just need a skillet – no oil needed, so even if you bought the raw sesame seeds just take the extra few minutes to toast them all and you’ll have a whole bunch of toasted sesame seeds!
This cucumber noodle salad is really easy to make and tastes light, crisp and refreshing.
Perfect summer salad. Just make sure to add the dressing right before eating otherwise the cucumber will start to get soggy if sitting in it for a while, and we don’t want that!
Let me know what you think of this cucumber noodle salad in the comments below!
For other Asian recipe ideas be sure to check out my Thai veggie quinoa bowls. It’s another one of my favorites!
Recipe Adapted from Tastespotting The Blog
Cucumber Noodle Salad with Lemongrass Dressing
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
A simpe salad full of Asian flavors - cucumber ribbons made into cucumber noodle salad
Course:
Salad
Cuisine:
Asian
Servings: 2
Calories: 274 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 long English cucumber peeled
- 1 lemongrass stalk trimmed, outer layers removed, and insides finely diced
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
-
Using a vegetable peeler peel ribbons off of the cucumber. Set aside.
-
In a jar combine the remaining ingredients. With the lid tightly on shake the dressing together to combine.
-
Drizzle dressing on top of cucumber ribbons. Top with sesame seeds.
Nutrition Facts
Cucumber Noodle Salad with Lemongrass Dressing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 274
Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 637mg28%
Potassium 276mg8%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 155IU3%
Vitamin C 4.2mg5%
Calcium 63mg6%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Amy says
This looks delicious!