Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Todd

Sweet lord and baby jesus, this is INCREDIBLE! Haha, I can't believe how good it is, I ate the entire bowl and called it dinner.Used regular cukes cause I couldn't fine the fancy ones, removed the seedsUsed a grated jalapeno (no seeds) instead of the chili flakes.Used 1 tblsp soy sauce and 1 tblsp. fish sauceUsed regular peanut butter and skipped the sugarUsed cilantro AND mintCried like a baby because it was so friggen good. Though I wouldn't eat it before a date (crazy burps, haha)

Tom Follery

I don't follow the recipe at all, but it didn't turn out as described. Bad recipe.

Alexa Weibel, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

Winelady! You are absolutely right -- thank you! We've since adjusted the recipe for clarity, suggesting that readers first cut the cucumbers lengthwise into thin spears, then to cut the spears into 2-inch segments. Looks like the food stylist cut the 2-inch segments on an angle, because they're fancy like that! This salad is delicious any way you slice it. (Seriously, I have made it three times in the last month!) Enjoy!

grace schrafft

Wonderful! I learned this recipe from my Thai friend who married my next door neighbor. Two differences: 1) fish sauce instead of soy sauce, and 2) cukes sliced differently, into thin strips lengthwise, and center (seeds) removed.

Georgia Fisanick

too salty--leave out added salt altogether.

chris

M I’m going to be out of the country until the 8th.

KM

Dressing was too salty for my taste. Next time will omit kosher salt altogether, and probably switch some or all of the soy sauce & rice vinegar for lime juice.

Izzybella

Made this with the orange beef and it was delicious. I did not add salt and cut the sugar back, used Tamari instead of soy for GF and I doubled the recipe. Not a drop left. Let the salad sit for a bit and I found that the cukes add enough water without adding more.

Alexa Weibel, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

Peeled regular cucumbers or "English" cucumbers would work equally well! Since this cucumber salad is really an explosion of textures, if using larger cucumbers, I would halve them lengthwise, scoop out the seeds (so they don't dilute flavor and texture), then slice the remaining halves crosswise at an angle into spears.

KelliSue

Omit cilantro, if disliked, and add a bit of julienned holy basil or Italian basil.

Patricia Mendez

how about mint ...

winelady

It appears that the cucumbers in the photo have had more prep than simply cutting into 2 inch pieces. Any further clarification would be greatly appreciated.

S kropf

Go to Persia and get some cucumbers

noodle

Used white wine vinegar, no additional salt, and American cucumbers peeled. It turned out great. I flunked on not having any kind of chili oil, love a little spice. Also the comment about having the cucumbers sit in the dressing is very valid as it really helps them release some water and make the peanut sauce lighter in texture and not complete paste.

Emily

Just made, very tasty! Due to a recently acquired peanut sensitivity I used almond butter and chopped almonds as per an editor’s suggestion in the comments. Happened to have vegan fish sauce so I used that in place of 1 T soy sauce. Topped with spicy chile crisp aka Lao Gan Ma oil. Cucumbers were still releasing water in the dressing, so I have a good amount left over to use on that bunch of kale waiting in my fridge, possibly topped with tofu. Will make again.

Mathilde

I used 2 English cucumbers and the amount of dressing could have used 3.

Chantal

Loved this. We have Persian cukes (also known as mini cukes) at our grocery store. They are already really firm and not watery so next time I will leave off salting them. The peanut dressing was amazing, one of the best I’ve ever made. Will make this again and double it but keep the dressing the same amount. We had no leftovers but there was a lot of dressing left in the bowl.

TGP Italy

Lordy was this good. I could easily add a couple of dashes of fish sauce and a bit of basil chiffonade to up the ante even more. We used cashews instead of peanuts because we are rebels. Salad is a huge winner.

Carol

Loved this. Simple and delish.

Cool hand cuke

Amazing that such a concise recipe is needed.What if the ingredient list was one word- imagination?

jodi

My sauce ended up being a bit thin. I did use an almond butter but it was quite thick. I do think letting cucumbers dry a bit would have helped. I had to use an english cucumber. I will lay off on the salt a bit next time too because my nut butter was salted. Overall it was a great flavor.

Jessica

Halved the recipe and made it with Skippy, regular unsalted butter, half turbinado and half brown sugar, reduced a little bit for mile-high altitude. These are as delicious as promised and I understand why you’d want to make them and then hide them away.

M.Cook

Amazing salad! LOVE this recipe. Exactly followed the recipe and added 1/4 tsp of grated ginger to the dressing, which brightened the dressing to a whole new level.

Lisa B.

Make same salad but with cuke zoodles.

JanDee

Very Good but cucumber was still a little watery after draining for a couple of hours

Towanda

I have made this so many times. It is so good! By far our favorite NYT recipe.

PMD

This recipe is SO GOOD! My favorite cucumber salad recipe of all time. Have made it countless times now. I don’t bother to salt and drain the cukes, they just release their juices into the sauce and it’s great. I’m going to start making double batches of the sauce bc it’s so good, I’m always spooning it up out of the bottom of the bowl and over rice.

PMD

Forgot to mention I also do omit the salt from the dressing!

kristen

Everyone I make this for loves it. My husband is obsessed. Best part is I pretty much need cukes and cilantro—everything else is pantry staple. The peanut sauce is magic.

Denise

This is an all star. You can use Chinese sesame paste for a different vibe. This is really good on noodles too…easy to jazz up as it is essentially a simple dan dan sauce.

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Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you salt cucumbers before salad? ›

Wash the cucumbers, peel if desired, and cut into the shape you need. Place in a bowl and toss with enough kosher salt to coat evenly (approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per pound). Transfer to a colander set over a bowl or sink and let sit for 30 minutes.

Do cucumbers and peanut butter go together? ›

The simple crunchiness of cucumbers pairs perfectly with creamy, nutty, slightly-sweet peanut flavor. It sounds weird, I know, but you have to try it!

Why should you smash cucumbers? ›

Here's why it makes such a difference. Smashing exposes more surface area than chopping or slicing. When smashed and chopped cucumbers were treated with equal amounts of salt, the smashed ones shed water four times faster than sliced cucumbers. The irregular shapes hold on to the dressing better than smooth surfaces.

How to mash up cucumber? ›

Instructions
  1. Bash the cucumbers until they split open on the sides (see video) using something heavy like the smooth side of a meat mallet, rolling pin, pestle or even a can.
  2. Cut into 2.5cm/1" chunks then place in a bowl.
  3. Sprinkle with salt, toss, leave for 20 minutes.
  4. Drain excess liquid in the bowl.
Nov 14, 2019

What makes cucumbers taste better? ›

It may be an old wives' tale, but rubbing pieces of cucumber together is said to pull some of the cucurbitacin to the surface. You can also salt your cucumbers to help even out the taste. Salted cucumbers have been my favorite snack since I was a little girl.

Why soak cucumbers in salt water before making cucumber salad? ›

The extra step allows them to release some of their water — keeping them extra crisp even when they get tossed with the dressing. It also ensures the dressing doesn't become watered-down, which is especially useful in creamy mayo-based cucumber salads.

What should not be mixed with cucumber? ›

Eating things made of cucumber and milk together

Milk is a laxative, and melons are diuretic. As a result, combining them may cause digestive difficulties, which may result in vomiting or loose motions.

What flavor compliments cucumber? ›

Spices: Cucumbers pair well with spices such as black pepper, cumin, and coriander. Fruits: Cucumbers pair well with fruits such as tomatoes, watermelon, and berries. Meats: Cucumbers pair well with meats such as chicken, salmon, and tuna. Seafood: Cucumbers pair well with seafood such as shrimp, crab, and oysters.

What is the best thing to eat with cucumber? ›

Cucumber recipes
  • Grilled salmon teriyaki with cucumber salad. ...
  • Cucumber salad with pickled red onions. ...
  • Crunchy watercress, cucumber & radish salad. ...
  • Greek salad. ...
  • Salmon, samphire & charred cucumber salad. ...
  • Courgette fritters with dill & cucumber sauce. ...
  • Thai salad. ...
  • Cod with cucumber, avocado & mango salsa salad.

Why should you not peel cucumbers? ›

Cucumbers also have a high water content. They're made up of about 96% water. To maximize their nutrient content, cucumbers should be eaten unpeeled. Peeling them reduces the amount of fiber, as well as certain vitamins and minerals.

Why should you milk a cucumber? ›

Therefore, cutting off the end of a cucumber and stimulating the cut side draws out the cucurbitacin and cuts down on the bitterness. If you really hate bitter flavors, then you can also peel off the dark green skin.

How do you add salt to cucumbers? ›

Adding salt to sliced cucumbers draws out the extra moisture in the vegetable, through a process called osmosis.

How do you scrub cucumbers with salt? ›

Cucumbers - rolling in salt

Doing so will remove the stipples (bumps) and refresh both the color and flavor. This preparation method is called “itazuri” in Japanese. The recommended amount of salt for 1 cucumber is about 1/2 to 1 tsp. After performing itazuri, quickly rinse off the cucumber and then cut up.

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