Thai Cucumber Salad Recipe
jeffraben.com/recipes · No. 562
Add a touch of Thai to your next backyard cookout with this recipe for sweet and tangy cold cucumber salad. Now you can replicate the delicious and delicate cucumber salad from your favorite Thai restaurant at home with this simple to prepare recipe.
Ingredients
Method
- Prep. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, salt, vinegar, and water together until the dry ingredients are dissolved.
- Chop the scallions on an angle starting from the white bulb up the stem about two inches into the green stems. Squish them a bit to separate them into rings. Add to the bowl.
- Cut the jalapeño in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds. If you don't want it too hot, cut out the white ribs. Like heat? Leave the ribs in there. Thinly slice the jalapeño and add to the bowl.
- Peel the cucumbers and run the tines of a fork lightly along the exterior flesh so that it makes scratches in the surface. Scoring the cucumber like this is not necessary, it just makes it look cool. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the cucumber into 1/8-inch slices. Add to the bowl. Add the basil. If you are using cilantro, add it now.
- Stir the bowl, coating the ingredients with the dressing, cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Serve. Serve chilled. If you plan to use chopped peanuts as a topping, add them at the last minute so they don't get soggy.
Cuisine: Thai. Marinating time: After you assemble all the ingredients, try to marinate them for at least 30 minutes. About the rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is the secret ingredient, and no other vinegar works as well. It is not hard to find. Most groceries carry it. Some are seasoned and some are not. Get the unseasoned if you can, but the seasoned works fine. By far the most popular brand is Nakano, and it is a good choice. I've bought other brands in Asian stores and regretted it. About the basil: Thai basil often is a lovely purple and is slightly stronger in flavor than regular sweet basil. It also has notes of lemon and licorice. If you can't find Thai basil, you can use fresh regular sweet basil. It will taste just fine. But if you can find it, use the Thai stuff, it reall amps this dish up to 11. Optional: You can add some red pepper flakes for color and more heat if you love the burn. If you add hot pepper, you might want to add a tablespoon or two of good olive oil to cut the heat. It also adds a bit of body. And while you're at it, add a few sprigs of chopped cilantro if you like it, and/or chopped unsalted peanuts on the top just before serving. Meathead Goldwyn - Meathead is the founder and publisher of AmazingRibs.com, and is also known as the site's Hedonism Evangelist and BBQ Whisperer. He is also the author of "Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", a New York Times Best Seller and named one of the "100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living. Copyright © 2005 to 2020 by AmazingRibs.com.
cold cucumber make-ahead salad side dish thai vegetable vegetarian
The original
