Asian Cucumber Carrot Salad
Asian cucumber carrot salad with creamy sesame dressing is easy to make, ready in just 10 minutes and the perfect light, refreshing salad (with no lettuce). Great as a simple side dish, a light lunch (with your favorite protein) or for summer cookouts/bbq’s.
Carrot cucumber salad highlights
This healthy Asian cucumber carrot salad has the best creamy almond butter sesame dressing that pairs so perfectly with the crunch of the cucumbers and carrots. If you aren’t used to making your own salad dressing, trust me this is so easy!
This recipe is also gluten free, dairy free, vegan and Whole30 friendly so great for serving at parties or cookouts!
Ingredients
- Cucumber
- Shredded carrots
- Green onion
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Almond Butter Sesame Dressing
- Almond butter – use sunbutter or tahini to make it nut free
- Coconut aminos – you can also use gluten free tamari or soy sauce (you may need less salt)
- Rice wine vinegar (or lime juice).
- Sesame oil
How to make cucumber carrot salad
Make the dressing by combining the ingredient in a bowl. Stir well until well incorporated (it will thicken and smooth out more as it sits).
Slice the cucumber. If you are enjoying the salad now, slice the cucumber thin. If you are making this a few hours in advance, cut the cucumber into thicker slices. Grate the carrots if needed, slice the green onion.
Make the salad: Combine everything in a bowl, stir well. Let sit 5 minutes then serve.
Top tips
- The salt in the dressing will causes the cucumbers to wilt (as they release water). Because of this, the thinner you slice the cucumber, the quicker it will get mushy. If you plan on enjoying this right away, cut the cucumber thin. If you want to prep the salad a little further in advance, make the cucumber slices thicker.
- I like to use the shortcut and buy shredded carrots, but you can easily shred carrots in the food processor using the grating attachment. Alternatively, you can thinly peel the carrots to make long carrot ribbons.
Other additions to asian carrot cucumber salad
- Sliced red onion (more pungent onion flavor)
- Grated ginger or garlic
- Chopped peanuts or slivered almonds for crunch
- Red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or sriracha in the dressing
- Cooked shrimp, Asian inspired chicken bites or salmon bites in the air fryer
Common questions
What are the best cucumbers to use
The best cucumbers for a salad like this are thin skinned cucumbers with small seeds. I prefer English cucumbers because they are easy to find (usually you will see them wrapped in plastic in the grocery store). Persian cucumbers are a great option as well, but they are not as easy to find where I live.
Can you use cucumbers from the garden
Yes, however most cucumbers that are grown in the garden have a thicker skin and large seeds. Peel the cucumbers (you can leave some of the skin for a nice presentation) and use a spoon to remove the seeds.
Can this cucumber and carrot salad be prepped in advance
Because the dressing will draw moisture out of the cucumbers, it’s best prepped right before serving (1-2 hours in advance max). If you want to prep some of this in advance, here are some tips:
- Prep all the ingredients and assemble the salad in a bowl, except leave the dressing separate.
- About 10 minutes before serving, add the dressing and stir well.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: If you have leftovers, they will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days. The dressing will get watery and the cucumbers will lose some of their crunch, so if you know you are prepping this in advance, slice the cucumbers thicker to help retain some of their texture.
More summer salad recipes to try:
- Asian Broccoli Slaw Salad
- Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Green Bean Italian Salad
- Chopped Mediterranean Salad
Asian Cucumber Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large English cucumber
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots - about 2 large carrots
- 2 green onions
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds - optional
Almond Butter Sesame Dressing
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the dressing ingredients and stir well until well incorporated. Let the dressing rest 1-2 minutes so it can thicken.
- Slice the cucumber, grate the carrots (I buy shredded) and thinly slice the green onion (green and white portion).
- Add the cucumbers, carrots, green onion and dressing to a large bowl. Stir well to coat the veggies in dressing. Let rest at least 5 minutes before serving (20 minutes is best).
Notes
- The salt in the dressing will cause the cucumbers to wilt as they release water. Because of this, the thinner you slice the cucumber, the quicker it will get mushy. If you plan on enjoying this right away, cut the cucumber thin. If you want to prep the salad in advance, make the cucumber slices thicker.
- I like to use the shortcut and buy shredded carrots, but you can easily shred carrots in the food processor using the grating attachment or a hand grater.
- If you want to prep this salad in advance, prep the veggies and dressing in advance but wait until serving (or 10 minutes before serving) to dress the salad.
