This Sesame Cucumber Salad is the perfect no-cook side dish for any summer meals! Refreshing to eat and full of toasted sesame flavor, this simple side is ready in minutes and looks beautiful on any table. Easily vegan and gluten-free!
Few vegetables are quite as refreshing as the cucumber, but with such a high water content can often, proper seasoning is essential. In this recipe, a creamy lemon tahini/yogurt sauce is a perfect pairing - it lends protein and a satisfyingly smooth texture to the crisp salad base.
Ingredients Needed for Sesame Cucumber Salad
- ½ red onion
- 4 Persian cucumbers
- 2 teaspoon sumac (or sub lemon zest)
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 seeded and sliced jalapeño (optional)
- 1 cup mixed tender herbs
- Sesame seeds, to garnish
As mentioned, I like serving this recipe with a sesame dressing, which is made with tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Recipe FAQ
Persian cucumbers are better than English (hothouse) cucumbers for salad, as they are more narrow, have a thin skin and fewer seeds.
This Sesame Cucumber Salad will last four to five days in a covered container in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the salt in the recipe will continue to pull water from the cucumbers over time, so I recommend storing the sauce separately and draining the cucumbers before serving if needed.
Place a thin Persian cucumber horizontally between two chopsticks (this will help prevent slicing all the way through. Starting at on site, slice your knife perpendicularly (at a 90 degree angle) along the cucumber at ¼ inch intervals, almost all the way down. Once you get all the way across, flip the cucumber over to the uncut side and repeat the slicing process, but cut at a 45 degree angle instead of perpendicularly.
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Crisp Sesame Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
For salad:
- ½ red onion sliced thinly
- 4 Persian cucumbers
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon sumac or sub lemon zest
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 seeded jalapeño sliced thinly (optional)
- 1 cup mixed tender herbs like cilantro and mint, roughly chopped
- Sesame seeds to garnish
For sauce:
- 2 TBS tahini paste runny
- ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt
- Juice from ½ lemon 2-3 TBS
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- A few pinches of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl of water, which will help mellow the sharpness. Set aside.
- Slice cucumber into thin rounds and add to a large bowl. If you'd like to make spiraled cucumbers, see instructions in notes below. Add salt, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes - this will draw out some of the liquid which helps to avoid an overly watery end result.
- Drain off water and sprinkle cucumbers with sumac and pepper. Stir to combine. Add lemon juice and sliced jalapeño, if using.
- Drain red onion and add to cucumber mixture. Add fresh herbs and mix.
- Mix tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a small cup. Combine until smooth.
- To serve, spread tahini sauce into a shallow bowl or plate and spoon salad onto it. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, to garnish.
R says
This was soo good and I liked the unique way of spiraling the cukes, its a pretty summer salad with lots of good flavor. Thank you!
Emily says
Yay, thank you so much for trying it, AR! Fresh from the garden sounds amazing, I am really glad you liked it!
R says
This is perfect timing! I have just picked half a dozen cukes from the garden. Thank you!
Sandy Crawford says
So delicious!
Emily says
Thank you for trying it, Sandy!