HEALTHY CUCUMBER SALAD WITH SZECHUAN PEPPERS

This Szechuan Cucumber Salad is a perfect way to cool on a hot summer day or add a light and fresh touch to any meal. It’s refreshing, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make. Plus, it looks so pretty on the plate! So if you’re looking for a delicious and easy-to-make salad, this salad is the way to go.

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Szechuan cucumber salad in a white bowl and pink chopsticks, with lime halves, coriander sprigs.

If you’re a fan of Asian cuisine, then you’re going to love this Szechuan Cucumber Salad! Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but it’s incredibly delicious, too – and it looks stunning enough for a dinner party or banquet.

The flavours in this salad are truly incredible. The zesty citrus tones from the Szechuan pepper pair perfectly with the lime, coriander (cilantro) and cucumber, resulting in a refreshingly cool and delicious salad.

In This Post:

You Will Need

Ingredients for the Salad

Labelled ingredients needed to make szechuan cucumber salad.

Ingredients for the Dressing

Labelled ingredients needed to make szechuan dressing.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Prep Your Veg

Cut the roots off your red oak lettuce, wash carefully under cold running water and either pat dry or spin dry in a salad spinner.

Tear the lettuce leaves into quarters so that they are in manageable pieces.

Wash the cucumbers and trim the tops and ends, then using a y-peeler start from the top, of your cucumber and slide down the cucumber to make cucumber ribbons.

Cucumbers being sliced into ribbons with a peeler on a wooden board.

Step 2 – Shake Up Dressing

Add all the vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified. Place it in a small bowl or sauceboat so that you can pour over the salad just before serving.

SZECHUAN DRESSING IN A GLASS JAR WITH LIMES, FISH SAUCE AND SZECHUAN PEPPERCORNS

Step 3 – Assemble Salad

Place the red oak lettuce on a salad platter, arrange the cucumber ribbons on top, season with salt, and scatter the chopped coriander and Szechuan peppercorns on top.

Arranging szecuan cucumber salad in a white bowl.

I like to serve this salad with the dressing on the side and then pour it over the salad at the last minute so that the soft lettuce leaves do not become soggy and the cucumber retains its crunch.

Serving Suggestions 🍽

This quick salad recipe is so versatile and reliable that you can make it for barbecues, family dinners, dinner parties or curry nights.

A hot weather recipe that helps you to stay cool on hot summer days or a salad to beat the heat from hot spicy food such as a hot curry or Piri Piri chicken, we served ours with pepper-crusted beef fillet.

Tips and Questions

What are Szechuan Peppercorns?

This spice originates from China’s Szechuan region hence its name. it is not like other peppers in that it has a lemony taste and gives a slight tingling sensation on your tongue, and it does not have the heat that black or white peppers do.

If you are unable to find Szechuan peppers, just combine one part black peppercorns to one part coriander seeds and slightly crush them to provide a similar flavour profile that the Szechuan pepper would provide.

What Cucumbers Should I Use?

It is important to use small tender cucumbers for their sweetness, and crunch and because they don’t have many seeds.

I used small Lebanese cucumbers but Persian cucumbers, baby cucumbers, English cucumbers or qukes are just ideal for this salad with their sweet flavour and cool crunch.

Can Szechuan Cucumber Salad Be Made Ahead?

You need to make sure that your salad leaves and cucumber ribbons are completely dry.
The dressing can be made 2-3 days in advance and kept in an air-tight container in the fridge.
You can make up this salad without the dressing and assemble the salad just before, or pour the dressing into a small jug and serve on the side.

What Diets Is It Suitable For?

This salad is keto and vegetarian and can be made paleo and vegan by swapping out the soy sauce for coconut aminos.