Simple & Refreshing Smashed Cucumber Salad Recipe

I recently saw smashed cucumber salad on a cooking show and wanted to try it. So, I found some recipes and tweaked them to my tastes. Smashing the cucumber breaks open the cells, which allows the dressing to fully saturate the cucumber.

This recipe is a great side on a hot day. It's super easy to make too!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 English cucumbers

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

3 Tbs coconut vinegar

crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Using a rolling pin, mallet or something similar, start at one end of one cucumber and smash down the length, hitting each spot only once, but covering the whole length until you reach the other end. Rotate cucumber 1/4 of the way and repeat. Do this until you've smashed it down the length 4 times. You want to smash it enough, but not too much because they'll be mush. The cucumber should have irregular cracks, but not be completely falling apart. Repeat with second cucumber.

Cut the smashed cucumbers into bite size chunks.

In a medium bowl, toss cucumbers with salt. Let rest in fridge for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, coconut vinegar and garlic.

After 20 minutes, remove cucumbers from fridge and drain liquid. Add the dressing, and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (optional) and serve. Enjoy!

If you enjoy this recipe, there's more in my e-cookbook, 31 Whole Food Dinner Recipes (that happen to be gluten free, grain free and are almost nightshade free). You can get the e-book here.