Best Crispy Cucumber Salad Recipes

Crispy Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Spicy Mayo image

Provided by Gabriela Rodiles

Categories main-dish

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 tablespoons rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) or lemon juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or neutral oil
Kosher salt
One 12-ounce package Persian cucumbers (about 7 cucumbers), or 12 ounces English cucumbers sliced into half-moons
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, or any other roasted salted nut, roughly chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, sambal oelek or hot sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil or other neutral oil
Four skinless or skin-on salmon fillets, preferably center cut (6 to 8 ounces each)
3/4 cup arrowroot flour or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper

Steps:

Whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Thinly slice the cucumbers lengthwise about 1/8-inch thick with a mandoline or vegetable peeler. Add the cucumbers to the bowl with the dressing; add the cilantro and peanuts and toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, if needed. Stir together the mayonnaise and chile-garlic sauce in a small bowl until smooth. Set both aside for serving.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon fillets with a large pinch of salt. Place the arrowroot or cornstarch in a medium shallow bowl or baking dish and whisk in the cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dredge the salmon fillets until each side is well coated.
Once the oil is shimmering and hot, carefully add the salmon. Cook until well browned and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Give the cucumber salad a toss, then transfer to a serving bowl. Place each salmon fillet on a plate, drizzle with the spicy mayo and serve with the cucumber salad.

CRISPY THAI PORK WITH CUCUMBER SALAD image

Categories Pork

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 18

1/2 English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 red or green Thai chiles, with seeds, thinly sliced, divided
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, divided
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound ground pork
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla and nuoc nam)
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2 heads Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
Steamed white rice and lime wedges (for serving)

Steps:

Toss cucumber, shallot, 1 chile, and 1/4 cup lime juice in a medium bowl; season with salt and set cucumber salad aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and remaining chile and cook, stirring, until garlic is just beginning to turn golden, about 30 seconds. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a spoon and pressing down firmly to help brown, until cooked through, browned, and crisp in spots, 6â8 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar and cook, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of skillet, until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Mix in remaining 1/4 cup lime juice. Toss basil, cilantro, and mint in a medium bowl. Serve pork with herbs, lettuce, rice, lime wedges, and reserved cucumber salad alongside.

CRISPY CUCUMBER SALAD image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

4 organic cucumbers
1 sweet onion
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 jalapeno or bonnet chiles, diced, membranes removed
freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground sea salt
1/2 cup peanuts or pine nuts,
lightly toasted

Steps:

Wash the cucumbers well. Score the skins with a fork drawn lengthwise on the cucumbers, just cutting through the skin. Cut into thin horizontal slices and place in serving bowl. Peel skin from onion and slice into thin rings. Separate the rings and put in the bowl with the cucumbers. In a small bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and diced hot peppers. Pour over the cucumbers and onions, tossing lightly. Add the chopped cilantro and toasted nuts just before serving and toss lightly one more time.