Smashed cucumber chunks in a blue-and-white bowl with chopped peanuts, a dried chili and dark dressing, chopsticks resting on top. — Photo: Daniela Eftimova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Chinese · Lunch · Dinner · Snack

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Name: Smashed Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 medium English cucumbers; 1/2 tsp Salt; 4 cloves Garlic, finely minced; 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar; 1 tbsp Light soy sauce; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil; 2 tsp Chili oil, with some sediment; 1 tsp Toasted sesame seeds; 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped

拍黄瓜 (Pāi Huángguā)

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we make recipes

Cool, crunchy cucumbers cracked open so they soak up a punchy dressing of garlic, black vinegar and a drizzle of chili oil. A light, low-calorie side that comes together in minutes.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: No cooking
Total: 15 min
Serves: 4

Easy
Vegan
Dairy Free
Low Carb

Per serving70kcal4% of a 2,000 kcal day

2gProtein

9gCarbs

4gFat

1gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 48% · Fat 44% · Protein 8%

Jump to recipe

Track it in BerryFit and see how it fits your own daily target. Get the app ›

Ingredients

For 4 servings

2 medium600 gEnglish cucumbers
1/2 tspSalt
4 cloves12 gGarlic, finely minced
2 tbsp30 gChinkiang black vinegar
1 tbsp16 gLight soy sauce
1 tspSugar
1 tsp5 gToasted sesame oil
2 tsp9 gChili oil, with some sediment
1 tspToasted sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp5 gFresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Steps

1
Rinse the cucumbers and trim off both ends.
2
Lay a cucumber on a board, place the flat side of a large knife or cleaver on top and press or tap firmly until it cracks open along its length.
3
Repeat with the second cucumber.
4
Cut the cracked cucumbers on an angle into bite-size chunks.
5
Toss the cucumber pieces with the salt in a bowl and leave for 10 minutes to draw out water.
6
While the cucumbers rest, stir together the garlic, black vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
7
Drain the cucumbers and pat them lightly dry, discarding the liquid.
8
Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss well to coat.
9
Drizzle the chili oil over the top.
10
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro, if using, and serve straight away while crisp.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of Chinkiang black vinegar if it is hard to find.
For a gluten-free version, swap the soy sauce for tamari labelled gluten-free and the black vinegar for rice vinegar, and choose a chili oil labelled gluten-free.
Swap the sugar for a little maple syrup, or leave it out for a sharper dressing.
Add a tablespoon of chopped roasted peanuts on top for extra crunch, as in the photo, leaving them off for anyone with a nut allergy.

Storage

This salad is best eaten fresh, as the cucumbers soften and turn watery as they sit. Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat within a day; do not freeze.

Make ahead

Mix the dressing up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Smash, salt and dress the cucumbers just before serving so they stay crisp.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

Track this in BerryFit

Log Smashed Cucumber Salad in one tap and see how it fits your remaining calories for today.

Or ask Coach Berry to change it

Make it veganMore proteinFewer calories

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Allergens and nutrition

Contains: GlutenSoySesame

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (170 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	70 kcal	41 kcal
Protein	1.5 g	0.9 g
Carbohydrates	8.9 g	5.2 g
of which sugars	4.7 g	2.8 g
Fiber	0.8 g	0.5 g
Fat	3.6 g	2.1 g
of which saturated	1.1 g	0.6 g
Sodium	516 mg	304 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.