Sesame Cucumber Salad
A hearty Chinese side built around cucumber, basil leaves and red chilli flakes — roughly 40 minutes start to finish, and rated easy to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 4 steps.
At easy difficulty across 4 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, every ingredient resolved to a plant source.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegan — no meat, fish, dairy, egg or honey, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Sesame
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Prep the cucumbers:
- Peel the cucumbers. Cut them into quarters, lengthwise. (If the seeds are bitter, scrape out the seeds and discard.) Cut the cucumbers again, crosswise, into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
- Toss the salad:
- Place cucumbers into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Toss with sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, basil (if using), and chili flakes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if using.
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.
Ingredient substitutions
- Rice Vinegar
- apple cider vinegar · white wine vinegar
What to serve with Sesame Cucumber Salad
- Kung Pao Chicken Chicken
- Kung Po Prawns Seafood
- Ma Po Tofu Beef
- Wontons Pork
Tips & common questions
How long does Sesame Cucumber Salad take to make?
About 40 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 4 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
Try apple cider vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Sesame Cucumber Salad vegan?
Every ingredient listed on this page resolved to a plant or mineral source in our ingredient ontology — no meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, egg or honey. Labels can still differ by brand, so check packaged items.
Related recipes
Structured source recipe — not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Recipe data for Sesame Cucumber Salad via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.