Smashed Cucumber Chicken Salad Recipe

Name: Smashed Cucumber Chicken Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: For the salad:; 2 large English cucumbers or other thin skinned cucumbers, such as Persian or Japanese (2 to 2 1/2 pounds); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pound (about 2 cups) shredded cooked chicken, cold from the fridge; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, to serve; Cilantro leaves, to serve (optional); Dried red chili flakes, to serve (optional); For the dressing:; 1/4 cup rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos; 2 tablespoons honey; 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Is there anything more refreshing than ice cold cucumber on a hot day?

This Chinese-style cucumber salad with bits of shredded chicken (or tofu!) takes almost no effort to prepare and makes a fantastic light summer meal.

Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chicken — Sabrina Modelle

This salad is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover chicken. Shrimp is also great if you have it, and tofu is excellent option for a meatless meal.

A few keys to success when making this salad:

Use thin-skinned cucumbers like English, Persian, or Japanese
Make sure your ingredients stay nice and cold right up until you toss the salad together and serve.
Salt your cucumbers for 20 to 30 minutes (no longer!)
Eat it immediately! Smashed cucumbers can get an off texture if they sit around too long.

Why "smashed" cucumbers?

Sweet and mild, cucumbers are already a perfect vehicle for flavorful dressing, and smashing them gives a nice uneven surface for the sesame vinaigrette to cling to. Smashing also brings out the flavors and aromas in the cucumber itself.

Traditional Chinese smashed cucumber salad

Traditional Chinese smashed cucumber salad is the inspiration for this salad of smashed cucs and added chicken. In Chinese it's called pai huang gua, and the seasonings vary depending on where it's made. It's a common dish when the weather is hot.

This isn't a typical smashed cucumber salad because it contains chicken. The cold chicken added to the salad turns it into a meal.

More Light and Summery Chicken Salads

Smashed Cucumber Chicken Salad

Prep Time 5 mins

Resting 30 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Servings 4 servings

For a vegan version, substitute 1 block cubed tofu for the chicken and substitute sugar or agave nectar for the honey.

Two poached chicken breasts will make enough for this recipe. See: How to Poach Chicken Breasts.

For the salad:

2 large English cucumbers or other thin skinned cucumbers, such as Persian or Japanese (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound (about 2 cups) shredded cooked chicken, cold from the fridge
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, to serve
Cilantro leaves, to serve (optional)
Dried red chili flakes, to serve (optional)

For the dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ginger, finely grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Smash the cucumbers:

Wash cucumbers well and pat dry. Use the flat edge of a large knife or cleaver to smash the cucumbers in several places along their length. The cucumbers should split into several strips.

Use your hands to break the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces.

Sabrina Modelle

Sabrina Modelle
Salt and drain the cucumbers:

Transfer the cucumber pieces to a colander and place the colander inside a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss gently so all the pieces are salted evenly.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. As they sit, the salt will draw moisture from the cucumbers, which will collect in the bottom of the bowl.

Sabrina Modelle
Make the dressing:

Whisk together rice vinegar, soy, honey, ginger, minced garlic, and cilantro. Chill in the fridge while cucumbers are draining.

Sabrina Modelle
Assemble the salad:

Transfer the cucumbers to a serving bowl. Add the shredded chicken and dressing. Toss to combine and dress the salad. Taste and add an extra splash of vinegar or soy sauce if needed.

Divide between serving plates and top with sesame seeds, dried chili, and more cilantro. Serve immediately. (Leftovers do not keep well.)

Sabrina Modelle

Sabrina Modelle

Sabrina Modelle

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
233	Calories
11g	Fat
16g	Carbs
19g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	233
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 3g	14%
Cholesterol 63mg	21%
Sodium 805mg	35%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	6%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 5mg	24%
Calcium 77mg	6%
Iron 2mg	13%
Potassium 416mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.