This Thai Cucumber Salad is sweet, tangy, and filled with fresh flavors. A lot of people enjoyed my Chinese Cucumber Salad recipe, so I thought I'd share this Thai version with peanuts and cilantro.
Looking for more Thai recipes? Try my Thai Coconut Chicken Soup next!
About This Recipe
This is my go-to refreshing cucumber salad. Crisp, tangy, and full of bright flavor. It's the perfect side dish for spring or summer! Compared to Chinese-style cucumber salad, which I have eaten my whole life, this one is more balanced and neutral in flavor, but has layers of flavor from cilantro, peanuts, jalapenos, and onions.
If you read my last post on Thai Chicken Soup, you know how much I love Thai food. Every time we go to a Thai restaurant, we get either the cucumber salad or the papaya salad. They're just such a nice way to start off your meal. And speaking of papaya salad... I really should get a recipe posted for that. I made it for my wife last summer, and she said it was one of the best recipes I made that year.
While this recipe is fairly easy, it does require one crucial step that you cannot leave out. And that is to salt the cucumbers for about 10 minutes, then drain the excess liquid. What this does is it prevents the sauce from getting diluted later on and ensures everything stays very flavorful.
Key Ingredients
Cucumbers: My preference is English cucumbers because they don't have as many seeds as other cucumbers. You'll need two for this recipe.
Salt: Extremely important for drawing out the moisture from the cucumbers and also adding flavor.
Red onion: Adds savory and zesty depth to the salad.
Jalapeno peppers: Make sure to remove the seeds and the pith, so the salad is not too spicy. I use a small spoon to scrape them out. For a bit of extra color, you can also use Thai red chili peppers, but keep in mind, they are significantly spicier.
Cilantro: I love the fresh and herbaceous flavor that cilantro adds to the salad. Make sure your cilantro is fresh, ideally less than a few days, because cilantro loses its aroma very fast.
Peanuts: Adds delicious crunch.
Rice wine vinegar: Also known as rice wine vinegar. This is a clear colored vinegar with a very subtle fruity, funk.
Sugar: Of course, we need some sugar for that signature sweet taste.
Instructions
STEP 1: Toss the cucumbers and salt in a large bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Drain and blot dry with paper towels.
STEP 2: Add the onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and peanuts to the cucumbers.
STEP 3: In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and vinegar together until the sugar dissolves.
STEP 4: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Chill until ready to serve. The salad is best eaten within 1 day.
Thai Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers (cut into ¼-inch slices)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ small red onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 small jalapeno peppers (seeded and chopped)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup chopped peanuts
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar (also called rice vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
Instructions
- Toss the cucumbers and salt in a large bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Drain and blot dry with paper towels.
- Add the red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and peanuts to the cucumbers.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and rice vinegar together until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Chill until ready to serve. Best eaten within a day.
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