(Updated January 2026)

If you’ve been thinking of taking your salads to the next level then this the ingredients in this Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian Dressing will not only turn up the volume on your everyday veggies, but it’s healthy too.

The first time I made it I was so surprise it just had a handful of simple ingredients This would have to be up there in my top 5 favorite salads and it’s on repeat all the time as a perfect Summer side dish..

With the Summer giving a great crop of home grown Lebanese cucumbers you’ve got to think fast about how to use them and salads with cucumber as the main ingredient is definitely and answer and you’ll be chowing down on crunchy goodness in no time.

What Ingredients Go Into this Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe?

Just three main ingredients

Cucumbers – we used Lebanese cucumbers for this salad recipe. The skin is so fine and there’s minimal seeds. The fresher the better.

Red Capsicum – just half of a red capsicum finely diced adds just the right amount of colour.

Red Onion – 1/4 of a small red onion for this recipe thinly sliced is just enough bite.

Asian Cucumber Salad Dressing Ingredients

Rice Wine Vinegar – perfect choice and you’ll find this at your local grocery store.. This is a milder vinegar and often used in Asian cuisine. If you don’t like the strong flavours of apple cider vinegar or white wine vingar then rice vinegar is that milder option. My go to all the time.

Honey – the sweetness factor is totally your taste. 3 teaspoons is what is in the recipe but feel free to lessen or add to your taste.

Sesame Oil – oh give this salad it’s unique sesame and Asian flavours.

Sesame Seeds – make this salad look even more pretty with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. If you have the time toastes seame seeds throw a nice nutty flavor. (plus they contain a mountain of awesome nutrition benefits).

Salt – half a teaspoon is all you need but makes all the difference.

Olive oil – light flavoured or what ever you prefer.

How To Make This Cucumber Salad

You can whip up a batch of mouthwatering cucumber salad in mere minutes. All is needed is a little chopping and slicing and mixing of the salad dressing ingredients.

Slice your cucumbers the way you like, then finely dice your capsicum. Slice the red onion as thin as possible and pop all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl.(makes it easier to mix the dressing)
Into a jar or small bowl pop the vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, sesame seeds, honey (the runnier the better as it mixes better) and the salt. Shake, shake shake and your done. Pour over the salad, toss and let sit for a few minutes. Pop into a smaller bowl if you prefer for serving.

What Type of Cucumber Can Be Used In This Salad?

Go for thin skin types of cucumbers like Persian cucumbers, Telegraph- (English Cucumbers), Turkish-Lebanese for a super crisp varieties. Even mini cucumbers are perfect. And you can say goodbye to pesky seeds and tough skins – these cucumbers are mild in flavor and seed rather minimal. These babies can be devoured with their skins intact!

Even though Apple cucumbers are known for their tough skins and big seeds we do still use them for this salad as they have that great crunch. Take out the seeds if you like and peel to remove the tough skins.

How to cut your cucumbers for this salad

There’s no hard and fast rule for the size and shape of the sliced cucumber in this salad, but here are a few cucumber cutting pro tips that might help.

The first thing I usually like to do is find a sharp knife. Makes cutting cucumbers thinly or thickly super easy.
Wash your cucumbers and give them a dry. Removes any unwanted dirt and sprays used during the growing process.
Cut your cucumbers in circles or diagonally to give it a groovier look. The thinner the slice the more flexible the cucumber will be. The thicker the slice will give a rather crunchy texture to the salad.

If you love other zesty salad and dressings, you may love our Green Goddess Salad Recipe and our Cauliflower Rice Salad with Turmeric Vinaigrette Dressing. It also goes well with our Teriyaki chicken rolls too.

Variations and Substitutions

Easy swaps are endless. Add a little bit of heat to this asian-inspired recpe with a few drops of chili oil,or red pepper flakes to make this more of a spicy cucumber salad.

A bit of zing with a little bit of inely grated fresh ginger.

Lime juice, just a squeeze with give this delicious salad a bit more of a tangy flavor.

How Long Will this Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian Dressing Last?

Store covered in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of days. The cucumbers will soften a little the longer they are covered with the dressing. The thin slices will soften quicker than if you cut them thickly. If you want to prep ahead of time make the salad and the dressing but keep separate until about 30 minutes before serving.