Japanese Cucumber Salad (Spiral-Cut with Sesame Dressing)

A close shot of the Japanese cucumbers with spiralized cut and dressing on a black white plate.

5 from 9 votes

Japanese Cucumber Salad (Spiral-Cut with Sesame Dressing)

This Japanese Cucumber Salad is made using an Asian technique - spiral cut the cucumbers so they turn into long curls and the dressing creeps into all those slices and crevices. It’s a fun way to prepare cucumbers that creates unique textures and flavors, plus it’s quick, easy, and super refreshing.

Prep Time15

Salt time:15

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Japan

Keyword: Cucumber salad Japanese, Cucumber salad Japanese recipe, Cucumber side dish, Japanese cucumber, Japanese cucumber recipe, Japanese cucumber salad, Japanese cucumber salad recipe, Recipe Japanese cucumber salad

Servings: mini cucumbers

Author: ChihYu Smith

Ingredients

12 oz Japanese or Persian cucumbers 6 mini cucumbers
1 tsp coarse sea salt
Sprinkle toasted black and white sesame seeds, optional

Japanese roasted sesame dressing (½ cup):

1 tbsp white sesame seeds
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp coconut aminos
½ to 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp tahini

US - Metric

Instructions

To spiral cut the cucumbers:

Rinse and pat dry the cucumbers. Trim the tip ends.
Place one cucumber between two chopsticks that you don’t mind scuffed up. This prevents you from cutting through (i.e. break) the cucumbers.
Make thin straight cuts on the top, about 2mm slices.
Flip the cucumber over (with the unsliced surface facing you), make thin slices on diagonal at 45 degrees.
Optional step. Cut the cucumber into halves. This will be easier to eat. Or you can leave them in whole for a more dramatic presentation.

To season and serve:

In a large bowl, add the cucumbers and sprinkle with salt. Use your hands to gently rub/distribute the salt to each piece. Take care not to break the cucumber. Set a timer and refrigerate for 15 minutes only.
In the meantime, make the salad dressing by following the instructions here.
Rinse the cucumbers under cold tap water for 3-4 times and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Combine the cucumbers with the dressing right before serving. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if using. Serve cold.

Notes

If you can’t find persian cucumbers, use English cucumbers.
Only salt the cucumbers for 15 minutes and no longer. They will break down and become too soft.
Only combine with the dressing right before serving. The cucumbers will continue leaking out liquid.
You can easily create variety by switching up the salad dressing. I recommend selecting one with a creamy texture: Paleo Asian "peanut" sauce, Paleo Thai "peanut" sauce, or Whole30 ranch yogurt dressing.
When selecting a different dressing, just remember that the cucumbers are already salted so you might not need as much salt in the dressing.
The dressing will yield about 1/2 cup. The nutritional label is estimated with 1/4 cup of dressing quantity.

Nutrition