This Mashed Cucumber Salad with Chicken Chunks is quick and easy. Adding chicken to this Chinese-inspired cucumber salad makes it a complete meal that’s great for hot summer nights.
What’s more refreshing than an ice cold pickle on a hot day?
This Chinese-Style Cucumber Salad with Chicken Chunks (or Tofu!) is almost effortless to make and a fantastic light summer dish.
This salad is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover chicken. Shrimp are also great if you have them, and tofu is an excellent option for a meatless meal.
A few keys to success in preparing this salad:
- Use thin-skinned cucumbers like English, Persian or Japanese
- Make sure your ingredients stay nice and cold until you toss the salad and serve.
- Salt your cucumbers for 20 to 30 minutes (no longer!)
- Eat it immediately! Mashed cucumbers can get a bad texture if left sitting around for too long.
Why “smashed” cucumbers?
Sweet and mild, cucumbers are already a perfect vehicle for tangy dressing, and mashing them gives a nice uneven surface for the sesame vinaigrette to cling to. The smashing also brings out the flavor and aromas within the cucumber itself.
Traditional Chinese cucumber salad
Traditional Chinese cucumber salad is the inspiration for this mashed cucumber and chicken salad. It’s called in Chinese pai huang gua, and the spices vary depending on where it’s made. It’s a popular dish in hot weather.
This is not your typical mashed cucumber salad as it contains chicken. The cold chicken added to the salad makes it a meal.
Lighter and more summery chicken salads
- Classic chicken salad
- Chicken salad with tahini dressing
- Curried chicken salad with endive
- Chicken Panzanella Salad
- Avocado Chicken Salad
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Chinese chicken salad with mashed cucumber
For a vegan version, substitute 1 block of diced tofu for the chicken and sugar or agave nectar for the honey.
Two poached chicken breasts are enough for this recipe. See: Poaching Chicken Breasts.
ingredients
For the salad:
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2 big English cucumbers or other thin-skinned pickles, like Persian or Japanese (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 pound (approx 2 cups) shredded boiled chickencold from the fridge
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2 tablespoon Sesame seedsserve
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coriander Leaves, serve (optional)
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Dried red chilli flakesserve (optional)
For the dressing:
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1/4 Cup rice vinegar
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2 tablespoon soy sauceTamari or coconut aminos
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2 tablespoon honey
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2 teaspoon Ginger, Finely grated
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1 clove garlicchopped
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1/4 Cup Coriander, chopped
method
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Mash 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.
Using your hands, break up the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces.
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Salt and drain cucumbers:
Place the cucumber pieces in a colander and place the colander in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss gently so all pieces are evenly salted.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes. As they sit, the salt draws out moisture from the cucumbers, which collects at the bottom of the bowl.
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Make the dressing:
Whisk together the rice vinegar, soy, honey, ginger, minced garlic, and cilantro. Chill in the fridge while the cucumbers drain.
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Assemble the salad:
Place the pickles in a serving bowl. Add the shredded chicken and dressing. Toss to combine and dress the salad. Taste and add an additional dash of vinegar or soy sauce if needed.
Divide among plates and sprinkle with sesame seeds, dried chili, and more cilantro. Serve immediately. (Leftovers don’t keep well.)
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 233 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 16g | carbohydrates |
| 19g | protein |
