So, one of my favorite things to order at one of my favorite restaurants in the world is the cucumber salad at Din Tai Fung, but many of the recipes I've seen online require brining the cucumber and then waiting and rinsing it, and who's got time for that?
So, here's an easier recipe that tastes just as good (to me) without all of the waiting or extra steps.
lazy din tai fung cucumber salad recipe
a super easy yet flavorful starter or side dish
prep time: 2-5 minutes (depends on how long it takes you to chop up your cucumber) :-)
serves 4
ingredients
- about 2 c cucumber, sliced (~1 English cucumber or ~8 Persian cucumbers)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar (or equivalent)
- 3 tsp/1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 4 fresh cloves or 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil and/or chili oil (optional)
- sesame seeds (optional)
directions
1. slice cucumber into thin pieces (we like lots of small pieces for more dressing in each bite)
2. sprinkle salt over cucumber and stir to combine
3. add in sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and oil(s) and stir well
4. sprinkle sesame on top to make it look pretty :-)
5. enjoy!
We had teriyaki salmon and tofu, and this cucumber salad was the perfect side. (Ooh! And we had the leftover salmon and tofu in tacos the next day, and they were great with a new batch of cucumber salad as Asian tacos, too!)
Even our 4-year-old gobbled it up (after declaring she would not eat any cucumbers). I'll call that a win! :-)
Happy eating!
