Vegan Chinese Cucumber Salad

The most fabulous way to cut and present cucumber, ever! This cucumber salad is made of ONE SINGLE cucumber, sliced into a spring shape and dressed in a sweet, sour, and umami sauce, and finally topped with some sizzling chili oil.

This cucumber salad is a traditional Chinese recipe, it is called Suo Yi cucumber, or 蓑衣黄瓜, which literally means raincoat cucumber. And that's because the traditional Chinese raincoat was made of overlapping straw, think a Hawaiian grass skirt but for the whole body. The way the cucumber is sliced and stretched out resembles the overlapping straws, hence the name.

And this special way of slicing is not just for presentation's sake! Because of all the incredibly thin slices and gaps that this method creates, the cucumber picks up and soaks up sauce much better, every single "scale" is filled with flavors and each slice is so tender and flexible, yet still crunchy to the bite.

In the photos below you can see how I cut and stretch the cucumber, but I will also be posting a video how-to on my Instagram and Tiktok and it'd be much easier to see the process there!

INGREDIENTS:

1 long cucumber

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon coconut amino

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 dry red peppers, sliced

White sesame seeds

Canola oil, or other high smoke point oil

TO MAKE:

- Slice the cucumber first VERTICALLY, use two chopsticks as guards, and cut only about 50% - 60% of the height of the cucumber, DO NOT cut through;

- Flip the cucumber, and slice the opposite side DIAGONALLY the same way, cut no more than 60% of the height;

- Once both sides are scored, stretch out the cucumber and coil into a plate;

- In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, coconut amino, sesame oil, brown sugar, salt, and some sesame seeds, pour over the cucumber coil;

- In a small saucepan, heat about 1/4 cup of oil, it must be high heat resistant! Olive oil won't do. Heat till the oil is about to smoke, a good way to test is to put a damp chopstick tip in the oil, and if it sizzles, it's ready;

- Sprinkle the garlic and dry red pepper over the cucumber, and carefully pour in the hot oil, enjoy the sizzle and aroma!

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VEGAN BUNNY CHEF

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