Description
A vibrant and refreshing Asian-inspired side dish featuring crisp cucumbers tossed in a creamy, spicy peanut sauce. This vegan, no-cook recipe combines tangy, sweet, and savory flavors with a hint of heat, making it perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or a flavorful topping for rice bowls.
Ingredients
Scale
Cucumber
- 2 large cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Spicy Peanut Sauce
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha or chili garlic sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon water (to thin, if needed)
Garnish
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- Salt the cucumbers: Place the thinly sliced cucumbers in a colander, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss well. Let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes to draw out excess water, then gently pat dry with paper towels to prevent sogginess.
- Prepare the peanut sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey or maple syrup, sriracha or chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, and water until the mixture is smooth and pourable. Taste and adjust the spice or sweetness according to your preference.
- Toss cucumbers with sauce: Transfer the cucumbers to a large bowl and pour the spicy peanut sauce over them. Toss gently but thoroughly until the cucumbers are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle chopped roasted peanuts and green onions over the top. Serve immediately for a crisp texture or chill for about 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld for a more intense taste.
Notes
- This dish works well as a refreshing appetizer, side dish, or a topping for rice bowls.
- For a low-carb version, substitute honey or maple syrup with a sugar-free sweetener and use tamari in place of soy sauce.
- Adjust the amount of sriracha or chili garlic sauce to control the level of spiciness.
- To make it nut-free, consider replacing peanut butter with sunflower seed butter, but note this will alter the flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
