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A refreshing and easy salad which will become a summer staple – this Thai Cucumber Salad is flavorful and light. Dressed with chili paste, toasted sesame oil, and lime, then sprinkled with roasted peanuts. It’s so quick to make and is the perfect side dish for main dishes like green curry or Pad Thai.
Persian cucumbers form the main base for this salad which makes it heartier and more flavorful than its leafy salad cousins. These smaller cucumbers are my favorite for this type of salad as I find them crisper and more flavorful than English cucumbers. They seem to hold up better when tossed in a dressing, retaining more of that refreshingly crunchy texture.
For more refreshing sides, try my Thai Peanut Salad or my Spicy Cucumber Salad.
Recipe Overview
Before You Get Started
- Mixing the dressing ingredients together and then pouring them over the salad helps to distribute the flavors evenly over the cucumbers.
- Dress the cucumbers and let them chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving to allow the vegetables to soak up the flavors.
- If you are planning to make this salad a day or so ahead of time, it’s best to pre-salt the cucumbers to remove some of their liquid. To do this, toss the chopped cucumbers with a generous pinch of salt in a bowl and let them sit for 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid that is drawn out, rinse the cucumbers and pat dry before using them in the recipe as usual.
Common Questions
Yes, you can use English cucumbers in this salad. If you’re doing this, cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds before cutting into chunks to use in the salad. This will help reduce the wateriness of the cucumber.
Yes, the salad will last for up to 3 days in the fridge. However it’s best to garnish with the peanuts just before serving so that they stay crunchy.
If you can find a Thai chili paste, that will work best for this recipe. However, you can use sambal, gochujang, or even a Chinese-style chili oil like chili crisp.
Ingredients Needed
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Thai cucumber salad. Full quantities are provided further down in the recipe card.
- Persian Cucumbers: These are smaller than an English cucumber and have a stronger flavor and less watery texture. This makes them really good for using in salads where cucumber is the star ingredient.
- Red Onion: Thinly slice the red onions. It allows it to soak up the dressing, which softens its flavor. You could also use two or three thinly sliced shallots here instead.
- Thai Basil: This has a sweet, slightly aniseedy aroma to it. If you can’t get Thai basil, you could use Italian basil (the salad won’t taste the same, though!).
- Chili Paste: You can adjust the amount of chili paste used in the dressing based on your spice preference.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: This oil works best for this salad. I highly recommend.
- Lime Juice: If you do not have lime, you can use lemon.
- Kosher Salt
- Roasted Peanuts: By sprinkling these on just before serving, the peanuts will retain their crunch, which adds a nice texture to the salad. If you’re allergic to peanuts, you could always use roasted cashews instead.
How to Make Thai Cucumber Salad
1️⃣ Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl
Chop the cucumbers up into small pieces. Add the thinly sliced onion and chopped Thai basil.
✏️ Thinly sliced onion soaks up the dressing easily which helps to soften the pungency of the raw onion.
2️⃣ Mix the dressing
Stir together the chili paste, sesame oil, lime juice and salt.
✏️ You can adjust the level of chili paste and salt, to taste. To test the flavor of the dressing, dip a piece of cucumber into it and eat that – it’ll help you gauge the balance of flavors better than simply tasting the dressing on its own.
3️⃣ Dress the salad
Mix the salad with the dressing. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the roasted peanuts.
✏️ You can leave the dressed salad, without the peanuts, in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cucumbers will absorb the salt from the dressing, giving them a slightly ‘pickled’ flavor and softening them slightly.
Variations & Substitutions
→ Season with fish sauce or soy sauce instead of kosher salt for a more savoury flavor.
→ If you’re allergic to peanuts, use roasted cashews instead.
→ Add julienned carrot and cooked rice noodles to the salad to turn it into a simple noodle salad.
Thai Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces mini cucumbers, sliced into bite sized pieces
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup freshly chopped Thai basil
- 1 tablespoon chili paste, or less if you don’t want it that spicy
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, toasted is more intense!
- juice of 1 lime
- Kosher salt, to taste
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Chop the 16 ounces mini cucumbers and add them to a salad bowl together with the ½ red onion (sliced), and ¼ cup freshly chopped Thai basil.
- In a small jug, whisk the 1 tablespoon chili paste, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, juice of 1 lime, and Kosher salt (to taste).
- Pour the chili dressing over the cucumbers and toss to combine.
- Just before serving, sprinkle with the ⅓ cup roasted peanuts (chopped), to prevent them from getting soggy.
Notes
Tips:
- Dress the cucumbers and let them chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving to allow the vegetables to soak up the flavors.
- Mixing the dressing ingredients together and then pouring them over the salad helps to distribute the flavors evenly over the cucumbers.
Make ahead:
- If you are planning to make this salad a day or so ahead of time, it’s best to pre-salt the cucumbers to remove some of their liquid. To do this, toss the chopped cucumbers with a generous pinch of salt in a bowl and let them sit for 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid that is drawn out, rinse the cucumbers, and pat dry before using them in the recipe as usual.
- Sprinkle on the peanuts just before serving.
- The salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage & Make Ahead Tips
Make ahead: If you are planning to make this salad a day or so ahead of time, it’s best to pre-salt the cucumbers to remove some of their liquid. To do this, toss the chopped cucumbers with a generous pinch of salt in a bowl and let them sit for 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid that is drawn out, rinse the cucumbers and pat dry before using them in the recipe as usual. Sprinkle on the peanuts just before serving.
Storage: The salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this salad.
You May Also Like
- Chicken Satay
- Thai Green Curry with Shrimp
- Blended overnight oats
- Thai Peanut Dressing
- Mango Black Bean Salad
- Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
- Carrot Sesame Salad
- Cottage Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
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