Smashed Cucumber Salad With All of the Crispy, Crunchy Bits Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Apple

by: Ella Quittner

November26,2018

4.5

6 Ratings

Smashed Cucumber Salad With All of the Crispy, Crunchy Bits Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 4

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Author Notes

In Northern California, there are a few unspoken rules. One is that you must never admit that you’re sick of lettuce. Which is why, on a recent trip to visit my folks, I had to whisper it to my mother. “Blasphemy! California greens are the best in the country,” she hissed, holding up a Mill Valley Beerworks menu between us so it might look to the server like we didn’t know one another. Unfortunately, he’d already overheard my complaint—but fortunately, he was from New Jersey, so he didn’t have our state citizenship revoked. He did take the opportunity to sell us on a lettuce-free salad, composed of smashed cucumbers and dressed with a bright soy vinaigrette. It was so delightfully harmonious in flavor, I haven’t been able to stop riffing on it since. My latest version of this salty, tangy, texturally magical cucumber salad not only punches above its weight—it wins every bout. To make this into a full-fledged dinner, toss in some tofu if you please, and serve over rice. —Ella Quittner

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What You'll Need

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Smashed Cucumber Salad With All of the Crispy, CrunchyBits

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
2 tablespoonssoy sauce
2 tablespoonsseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoonplus 2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoonplus 1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 poundJapanese cucumbers (you can substitute Persian if you can’t find Japanese)
2 kiwis, halved, scooped, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large Asian pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you can substitute a Honeycrisp apple if you can’t find) (about 2 cups of cubes total)
3 French breakfast radishes (can substitute round radishes if you can’t find breakfast), scrubbed, trimmed, and sliced thinly with a knife or mandoline
¹/₂ cupraw, roughly chopped cashews
3 teaspoonssesame seeds
2 tablespoonsolive oil
2 tablespoonsdrained capers in brine, patted dry
3 scallions, rinsed and trimmed (greens and whites) and then finely chopped, divided
1 small handful of cilantro leaves, about 1/3 cup loosely packed, rinsed and patted dry (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl (in which you’ll build the salad), make the vinaigrette: whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and sesame oil.
Halve the cucumbers lengthwise. To minimize mess, place them inside a freezer bag. With a rolling pin or meat mallet (or carefully with the heel of a large knife’s blade), gently smash the cucumber halves so that their skin cracks and their flesh begins to soften. Transfer to the bowl, breaking into bite-sized pieces with your hands. Leave behind any liquid or seeds. Let the cucumber pieces marinate in the dressing for at least 5 minutes, but for no more than 30 minutes (you want to retain some crunch).
After the first 5 minutes, add the kiwi, pear, and radishes.
In a dry skillet over medium low heat, toast cashews until they just begin to deepen in shade. Toss in the sesame seeds, give the skillet a shake, and let the cashews and sesame seeds toast together for another minute. Transfer to a plate off heat.
In the same skillet, after wiping away any lingering bits, heat oil over a medium flame until it’s hot enough to produce bubbles around the tip of a wooden spoon. Add the capers. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy and puffed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the plate of toasted cashews and seeds.
Finish the cucumber salad by mixing in the cashews, sesame seeds, capers, scallions, and cilantro (if using).

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4 Reviews

Judith D. June 9, 2019

I made it as written, but felt the recipe was too busy.

garywtsnd April 13, 2019

I am allergic to both pears and apples; do you have a suggestion for a replacement? Or, how would it be to do without either?

Thank you.

Jenn F. December 10, 2018

Lovely crisp, tangy salad! Didn't have kiwi so I used starfruit. So good!

Ella Q. December 11, 2018

Hi Jenn,

So glad that you enjoyed it!

Ella