Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad

This crunchy sesame cucumber salad is perfect for a hot summer’s day. It’s crunchy, refreshing and packed with flavour. The cucumber gets tossed in a delicious toasted sesame dressing before being served over creamy whipped tahini and topped with crispy onions – yum!  

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Ingredient Breakdown
• Why Baby Cucumbers?
• Toasted Sesame Dressing: The Hero of the Dish
• Whipped Tahini: The Creamy Base
• Crispy Onions: The Crunch Factor
• Serving Suggestions
• Customisations and Tips
• Final Thoughts
• More Salad Recipes

Introduction

Nothing beats a crisp, refreshing salad during hot summer days, and this Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad ticks all the boxes. With vibrant flavours, satisfying textures, and a creamy whipped tahini base, this salad is light yet packed with flavour. It’s simple enough for a quick lunch but special enough for entertaining. Let’s dive into the details and explore why this dish is a must-try for your summer repertoire.

Ingredient Breakdown

• Baby cucumbers: These provide the perfect crisp texture. Their mild flavour allows the dressing to shine.
• Toasted sesame seeds: Adds a nutty depth to the dressing.
• Toasted sesame oil: A richly flavoured oil that provides a robust sesame taste, making the dressing aromatic and slightly smoky.
• Light soy sauce: Adds savouriness and umami to the dressing.
• Rice vinegar: Adds a tangy, zingy note, lightening the richness of the sesame oil and soy sauce.
• Sugar: A touch of sweetness to balance the acidity and saltiness.
• Korean red pepper flakes: Optional, but these bring a gentle warmth without overpowering the other ingredients. They also lend a beautiful colour.
• Fresh ginger: Bright, peppery, and slightly sweet, ginger brings a burst of freshness that cuts through the rich dressing.
• Crispy onions: A topping that adds a contrasting texture to the soft whipped tahini and crisp cucumbers.
• Tahini: Adds a luscious, nutty base to the dish.
• Toasted sesame oil: Helps emulsify the tahini, adding even more sesame richness.

Why Baby Cucumbers?

For this crunchy sesame cucumber salad, I recommend using baby cucumbers. Unlike their larger counterparts, baby cucumbers have fewer seeds, which makes them less watery. To retain their crunch, you want to salt them before dressing them. Why? Because salting them draws out excess water, which in turn means the cucumbers stay crisp, even after being tossed with the sesame dressing

The slicing technique, where you make thin vertical and diagonal cuts, not only gives the cucumbers an attractive appearance but also helps them absorb the sesame dressing. This approach ensures that every bite is packed with flavour and crunch.

Toasted Sesame Dressing: The Hero of the Dish

The toasted sesame dressing in this Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad recipe brings a rich, nutty, and slightly smoky flavour to the salad. The process of toasting the sesame seeds before incorporating them into the dressing gives the dish its signature depth. You can play with the balance of white and black sesame seeds depending on your preference, but toasting them is non-negotiable. It’s the toasting that unlocks their full flavour potential.

Once toasted, the seeds are crushed to release their oils, creating a paste that forms the foundation of the dressing. Sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar bring balance to the dressing, while the sugar and ginger round out the flavours. The optional Korean red pepper flakes add warmth and a touch of heat, making the dressing irresistibly moreish.

Whether you’re a fan of bold flavours or prefer something subtler, this dressing can be adjusted to suit your palate. You can also set some aside to use in other dishes throughout the week – it’s that good.

Whipped Tahini: The Creamy Base

Tahini is not just a supporting act here – it’s a major player. The whipped tahini provides a creamy, nutty base for the crunchy cucumbers. Whisking tahini can feel intimidating at first, as it often splits before coming together. However, patience pays off here. Start by whisking the tahini with toasted sesame oil until smooth. Then, as you gradually add cold water, you’ll notice the mixture transform from grainy to creamy.

The result is a rich, silky tahini sauce that pairs beautifully with the crunchy cucumbers and sesame dressing. It creates a luxurious contrast, turning what could be a simple cucumber salad into something truly special. Be sure to spread the whipped tahini generously across the plate before piling on the cucumbers – this ensures every bite is balanced.

Crispy Onions: The Crunch Factor

The final touch in this Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad is a sprinkle of crispy onions. They add a layer of texture that ties everything together. With the whipped tahini providing creaminess and the cucumbers bringing crunch, the crispy onions introduce an element of crispness that elevates the salad. You can use store-bought crispy onions, but making your own is also an option if you’re feeling adventurous. Either way, they’re a must-have finishing touch.

Serving Suggestions

This Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad is versatile enough to serve in various ways. On its own, it’s a refreshing side dish, perfect for a summer barbecue or picnic. You can also pair it with grilled meats or fish for a more substantial meal. The light, nutty flavours of the sesame dressing and whipped tahini complement the smokiness of grilled dishes beautifully.

Alternatively, for a vegetarian option, you can serve this salad alongside falafel or stuffed pitta bread. The creamy tahini and crisp cucumbers would work wonderfully with these Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. It also works well as a light starter before a more robust main course.

Customisations and Tips

While this recipe is delicious as is, there are a few ways you can customise it to suit your preferences.

• Add herbs: Fresh herbs like coriander or mint would bring an extra layer of freshness to the salad.
• Spice it up: If you love heat, increase the amount of Korean red pepper flakes or use fresh chilli for a fiery kick.
• Add texture: Feel free to throw in some toasted nuts or seeds, such as almonds or sunflower seeds, for added crunch.

Lastly, remember that the quality of your tahini is crucial to the success of this dish. Avoid supermarket brands that can be gritty or bitter, and invest in good-quality tahini, like those from Baracke, Al Nakhil, Al Taj, and Belazu. It’ll make a huge difference!

Final Thoughts

This Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad is a celebration of flavours and textures. It’s simple yet full of depth, with the nutty sesame dressing, creamy whipped tahini, and crisp cucumbers all working together in harmony. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing side dish or a light, flavour-packed main, this salad is sure to impress. Serve it at your next summer gathering, and watch it disappear in minutes.

More Salad Recipes

Looking for more salad inspiration? Here are some delicious salads you might enjoy.

• Spicy Smashed Cucumber Salad: A refreshing cucumber salad, lightly smashed and tossed in a spicy chilli oil dressing, perfect for a light yet flavour-packed side.
• Raw and Roasted Courgette Salad: This vibrant salad balances tender roasted courgettes with the crispness of raw slices, all dressed in a lemony herb vinaigrette.
• Harissa Tahini Potato Salad: A vegan take on potato salad, featuring creamy harissa tahini dressing that adds a smoky, spicy kick to tender potatoes.
• Charred Broccoli Salad with Crispy Noodles: Charred broccoli meets crunchy noodles in this salad, elevated with a tangy sesame soy dressing for a delightful contrast of textures.
• Avocado Pesto Potato Salad: Creamy avocado and vibrant basil pesto combine to create a luscious dressing for this potato salad, a fresh and flavourful dish.