Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad

This is the best din tai fung cucumber salad recipe. This copycat asian cucumber salad is so quick and easy to make and has the most delicious flavour. This healthy salad makes the perfect refreshing side dish.

Why you will love this recipe:

• This salad is quick and easy to make and only requires a few minutes of hands on time.
• It has the most amazing flavour! It's a little sweet and a little spicy.
• This asian salad makes the perfect side dish for so many meals.
• Because this salad is so light and refreshing it's perfect for spring and summer and is also great for picnics, bbq's, tailgates and camping.
• This din tai fung cucumber salad copycat recipe tastes just as good as going to the restaurant but it's so much cheaper to make it yourself.
• This healthy salad is gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo, low sugar, refined sugar free and vegetarian.

Taste and texture:

This Chinese cucumber salad is crunchy, fresh and refreshing. It has such a unique and delicious flavour that is a little sweet, a little spicy, a little tangy and a little savoury.

Key ingredients and substitutions:

• Cucumbers - you can use any type of fresh cucumbers that you like to make this salad including Long English Cucumbers, mini cucumbers or Persian cucumbers.
• Salt - salt is used to brine the cucumbers to give them the perfect crunchy texture.
• Chili oil - Chili oil gives this salad such a unique flavour. You can get chili oil at asian specialty stores or specialty olive oil stores. You can also order chili oil online.
• Garlic - fresh garlic adds even more flavour and savoury taste to this salad recipe. You can add more or less, depending on how much you love garlic.
• Sweetener - you can use any type of liquid sweetener that you like to make the dressing for this salad. My favourites are honey or maple syrup but you can use agave syrup or date syrup too.

How to make:

Step one:

First, in a large bowl mix together the cucumbers and salt. Place the bowl in the fridge and let the cucumbers brine for 30 - 45 minutes. 

Step two:

While the cucumbers are brining, make the dressing by placing all the dressing ingredients into a bowl or jar and mixing well until you have a smooth dressing. 

Step three:

After the cucumbers have finished brining, rinse them with water two times. Taste the cucumber and rinse one more time if they are too salty.

Step four:

Lastly, toss the rinsed cucumbers with the dressing and serve and enjoy!

Chef's tips:

• If you are serving a crowd feel free to double or triple this recipe.
• Letting the cucumbers rest with the salt brines them and turns them extra crunchy. The longer you let them sit the cruncher they will get.
• If you want the cucumbers to be cold or chilled when you serve this salad, put them in the fridge while they are brining.

Recipe variations:

• You can add more or less garlic depending on how much you like the taste of garlic.
• If you like a sweet cucumber salad add 1-2 more tablespoons of sweetener.
• If you don't like any spicy flavour omit the chili flakes from the recipe.

How to serve:

This crunchy cucumber salad is best served right away after it's made. If you let it sit for too long the cucumbers will get a little mushy. It can be served on its own as a side dish or you could add protein such as grilled chicken or steak to turn it into a complete meal.

How to store:

Store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It is best served within 24 hours for the best freshness and crunchiness. If you let it sit longer than 2 days in the fridge the cucumbers will start to soften and not have that delicious crunchy texture that makes this salad so good!

I do not recommend trying to freeze this cucumber salad because the cucumbers get very soft and mushy when they thaw.

Nutrition info:

One serving of this salad has approximately 180 calories, with 1 gram of protein, 14 grams of fat, 9 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of carbs and 11 grams of net carbohydrates. This is a healthy salad that is low calorie, dairy free, gluten free, vegan and paleo. It is not keto, low carb or Whole30 compliant.

Frequently asked questions:

Other recipes you will love:

• Asian coleslaw
• Asian stir fry vegetables
• Healthy egg roll in a bowl
• Tuna fried rice
• Healthy broccoli salad

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