This spicy cucumber salad is fresh, crunchy and just spicy enough to go with almost anything. Perfect as a light lunch, BBQ side dish or quick salad alongside rice dishes, wraps or grilled chicken. The nice thing? With a few herbs and flavorings you can give the salad a completely different twist each time.

For extra flavor you can work with spice blends from our webshop, such as smoked paprika, chili flakes, Cajun spices or smoky BBQ rubs.

Basic recipe spicy cucumber salad

Ingredients (2–4 people)

• 2 cucumbers
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chili oil or crispy chili oil
• 1 tsp honey or agave syrup
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Optional

• Fresh coriander
• Chopped peanuts or cashews
• Extra jalapeño for more heat

Preparation

1. Cut the cucumbers into diagonal slices or press them slightly flat with the side of a knife for extra texture.
2. In a bowl mix the rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, chili oil, honey and garlic.
3. Add the cucumber and toss well.
4. Finish with chili flakes, spring onion and sesame seeds.
5. Let the salad sit in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to absorb more flavor.

Smoky spicy cucumber salad

Want a deeper, smoky flavor? Then add:

• 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
• pinch of cumin
• a few drops of BBQ sauce

For extra depth without much effort, for example use a smoky spice mix or smoked paprika from the webshop of Natural Spices.

Good with:

• pulled chicken
• wraps
• loaded fries
• burgers
• grilled corn

Asian spicy cucumber salad

Add:

• extra sesame oil
• a bit of ginger
• crispy onion
• lime juice

Pairs well with:

• sticky rice
• salmon
• chicken skewers
• poké bowls
• dumplings

BBQ spicy cucumber salad

Make the dressing a bit sweeter and add:

• 1 tsp Cajun spices
• smoked paprika
• black pepper
• a little bit of honey

Perfect alongside:

• spareribs
• grilled vegetables
• pulled jackfruit
• chicken from the BBQ

Creamy spicy cucumber salad

Mix into the dressing:

• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese
• a bit of lemon juice
• extra chili flakes

This gives you a fresher, fuller salad that works well with:

• pitas
• falafel
• wraps
• grilled potatoes

Which herbs work well?

For this kind of salads especially work:

• chili flakes
• smoked paprika
• garlic powder
• Cajun spices
• jalapeño spices
• black pepper
• cumin

In our webshop you will find various spice mixes and spices with which you can easily vary - from smoky BBQ flavors to fresh spicy combinations.

Tips

• Use firm cucumbers for extra crunch.
• Let the salad marinate briefly so the flavors penetrate better.
• Add toppings such as peanuts or crispy onion only just before serving.
• Also nice with radish, carrot or red cabbage added for extra bite.