Asian-Inspired Cucumber Salad

This cucumber salad is so easy, fresh and crunchy which makes it such a great summer side. Pair it with some seared meat, or some noodles and you have a delicious and quick side!

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Persian cucumbers (you can always double this if you want a large serving!), roughly peeled

• 1 1/2 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp of sesame oil

• 1/4 tsp of kosher salt

• 1/8 tsp of gochugaru (or chili flakes)

Optional, but encouraged, toppings: Cilantro, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, more gochugaru, or even sliced scallions.

Prepare your cucumbers by roughly peeling the skin off so you have stripes of skin and no skin. If you have a julienne tool, use that to peel the cucumber for a fun ridged texture. Cut the full cucumber into thin coin slices.

Note: You can truly peel/chop your cucumbers however you want, so get creative with it!

In a Tupperware or small bowl, mix together your sliced cucumber, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt and gochugaru. Toss everything together well and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I like to prep this about 1 - 2 hours before I am ready to eat so that the cucumbers have time to marinate and they become slightly more pickle-y.

Right before serving, move your cucumbers to a nicer bowl and top with some of the recommended toppings. If nothing else, top it with some sesame seeds and call it a day, but it really is so nice with some cilantro, peanuts and sesame seeds. (Good variety of textures). Serve cold and fresh!