Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad
By June Xie
Approved by the Delish Test Kitchen

Yields:
2 - 4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Cal/Serv:
760
One of my all-time favorite Chinese side dishes is also one of the easiest dishes to make: smashed cucumber salad, drizzled with fragrant hot chili oil, cool and crisp and so refreshingly addictive. On a hot summer day, it's like a spicy-savory equivalent of slices of cold, juicy watermelon: hydrating for the soul, quenching thirst and hunger in one go. Bonus: You get to smash out a little bit of that pent-up anger inside in the process! The resulting uneven, craggy texture of split cucumbers is perfect for grabbing and holding on to that delicious, seasoned oil.
For a super quick version, you can substitute in your favorite store-bought chili oil or chili crisp, but if you have a little more time on your hands—we're talking an extra 10 minutes here—you can make your own chili oil with just a few ingredients. The MSG is optional, but...it just won't be the same. If you're scared of the ingredient, maybe you'd get a kick out of watching me eat my way through a whole day of MSG.
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Ingredients
For the chili oil
- 1/2 cup
canola oil
1" piece ginger, minced
- 3
cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp.
ground chilis
- 2 tsp.
ground Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp.
white sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp.
MSG
- 1/4 tsp.
Kosher salt
For the cucumbers
- 6
Persian cucumbers
- 3
cloves garlic, grated
- 2 Tbsp.
chili oil
- 1 Tbsp.
toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp.
MSG
Kosher salt
Directions
Make Chili Oil
- Step 1In a small pot, heat oil until starting to smoke, then remove from heat.
- Step 2Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl or jar, whisk to combine all other ingredients. Slowly pour hot oil over the spices, letting it sizzle through evenly, streaming gradually and carefully to control the overflow. Whisk to incorporate fully and let cool completely.
Prepare Cucumbers
- Step 1Cut each cucumber into three pieces, then use the flat size of your knife to smash each piece into two craggy halves.
- Step 2In a large bowl, toss smashed cucumbers with chili oil, sesame oil, and MSG until evenly combined, then season with salt to taste.
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