Do you ever *not* plan your meals and then have to search around the kitchen longing for some delicious , healthy food to appear in the oven like magic? No?! Me either.
I needed a side dish last night and wasn’t in the mood for any of our usual staples. I’ve been craving Thai food lately and one of my favorite things at any Thai restaurant is the little cucumber salads they serve. I happen to have a cucumber on the counter, so I’m going for it! I also still have this mint plant that grows faster than we can eat it (super grateful!) and is begging for me to use more of it, so I’ll oblige.
TIP: Keep cucumbers out of the fridge! They last longer if they don’t get too cool. A concept I cannot understand as I am the opposite – no good if I get over-heated! š
This cucumber mint salad is a perfect side to accompany a big steak straight from the grill, a pork tenderloin with a soy ginger glaze (recipe coming next week!) or a plate full of veggies. I had a baked potato with mine and it was perfect.
You know I like it when yummy things happen in short amounts of time, so this is no exception. The timer for our baked potatoes when going off when I started slicing the cucumber and we were eating about 5 minutes later.
This is a great dish to double or triple the recipe to take to picnics and barbecues. You are very likely going to be the only person who brings a Thai-inspired salad and since it’s hot outside, everyone will thank you! You also don’t have to worry about keeping it cold like a mayonnaise-based dish. Put this out and enjoy the party!
This dish is cool from the cucumbers and the mint with a nutty taste from the sesame and a tang from the chili sauce. A completely perfect combination in my book! Don’t be afraid to make the dish your own, though. You could add some red pepper flakes if you like a little heat. š
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 handful chopped mint leaves
- 1/2 small red onion
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 2 tbsp Thai chili sauce
- 1 pinch salt
- sesame seeds (optional)
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, sesame seed oil and Thai chili sauce.
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Slice cucumber as thin as possible and add to the mixing bowl with the sauce.
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Add diced onion and chopped mint. Toss gently to combine making sure each cucumber slice gets coated.
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Taste! You might need a pinch of salt. Maybe some heat? If so, add a little red pepper flakes!
If you try this Thai-inspired Cool Cucumber Mint Salad, SHOW ME! Tag #mybusykitchen on Instagram (you can find me @tiffanysbusykitchen) and I’ll share your posts!
Thank you for stopping by My Busy Kitchen! – Tiffany xo