Asian Cucumber Salad with Shisho
The next few weeks are a little on the crazy side. On the bright side, mom is here. After a long struggle navigating the immigration bureaucracy and then COVID. With these crazy high temperatures, this lovely easy to make Asian Cucumber Salad seemed like a great addition to our weekend meals. And it includes something new, well new to me anyway. My first try with this bright herb that is from the mint family. And yes, so if you do not have Shisho, chances are mint or cilantro would do.
The Story of Cucumber Salad with Shisho
With mom, the arrival has been rather bumpy. She has arrived without her luggage. I hope that it shows up in a day or so. Her health is somewhat frail, and it is difficult to do very much with her here. This said, I am grateful that she is here. The bureaucracy is a terrible thing to navigate. Some of her health challenges are also a result of being alone and isolated through the COVID times. The pandemic is over, but its effects have probably scarred us in more ways than we would care to acknowledge.
A note on the Flavors
Back to this salad, the ingredients are pretty much a few splashes of rice vinegar, sesame oil a little soy sauce. And then bits of ginger, red cayenne pepper, sesame seeds and shiso. I have made this salad a couple of times so far. Varying the herbs, and ingredients. I find garlic tends to over powwe the Shiso, so I have left the garlic out of the mix. Although adding a little makes for an interesting and slightly different variation.
Thankfully the weather gets nicer again this week. I am a mild weather kind of person. Not too hot, not too cold. But because I love my Hudson Valley fall, I brave the New York winters. My simple summer garden adventures continue.
How to Enjoy the Cucumber Salad and other Cucumber Recipes
If you have a bumper cucumber crop, here are some other recipes from this site to consider, my favorite Chilled Cucumber Soup or a Classic Cucumber Raita. As for this salad, consider this as a side for these Turkey Hoisin Burgers or these Sushi Rice Bowls.
A refreshing and flavorful cucumber salad with Asian Flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 large organic English Cucumber
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced, greens and whites separated
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shisho (about 15 leaves)
Instructions
- Remove the tops of the cucumber, thinly slice the cucumber in a diagonal. This is not necessary, but it yields thinner and larger slices.
- Place in large bowl.
- In a smaller mixing bowl add in the rice vinegar, sesame oil, tamari soy sauce, minced ginger, scallion whites, red pepper flakes and black sesame seeds and mix well.
- Toss the cucumbers in this mixture and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Stir in the scallion greens and shiso just before serving.