Name: 5-Minute Sesame Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Salad
Ingredients: 3 Persian cucumbers; 1/2 small red onion; 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds; 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (or more to taste); 1/2 small lime, juiced; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; drizzle of tahini; drizzle of date syrup; 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

This cool and refreshing cucumber salad boasts incredible flavor using just a handful of simple ingredients. Just toss everything together and you're good to go!

Sesame cucumber salad in a small black bowl with a white marble background.

It's not often that I'll call a salad addictive, but that's the first word that comes to mind here! Each ingredient in this Asian-inspired sesame cucumber salad serves a role to create a balanced, nutritious and insanely delicious side dish perfect for any cookout or picnic.

I've been making this on repeat this summer with no signs of slowing down. Thinly sliced cucumbers and onions pair perfectly with toasted sesame seeds, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and a touch of toasted sesame oil. The key additions of tahini and date syrup then take this dish over the top for a salad you won't forget!

Asian cucumber salad in a black bowl with a white marble background.

Bold Flavors, Simple Ingredients – Here's What You'll Need

Ingredients of a sesame cucumber salad with a white marble background.

If you don't have Persian cucumbers, mini English cucumbers are a good substitute as both have a mildly sweet flavor and thin skin (no peeling necessary). They also have fewer seeds than other varieties of cucumbers. Regular cucumbers have thicker, waxier skin which would require peeling in advance. You can use regular cucumbers here but the results will just be slightly different. If you do, I would recommend peeling them.

How to Make this Sesame Cucumber Salad

My favorite thing about this salad is just how quick it is to prepare. Plus, I get to pull out the mandoline for easy, even, paper-thin slicing! Using a mandoline is efficient, fun and the best way for slicing both the cucumbers and onion. I like setting it to level 2 for the cucumbers and level 1 for the onion, but the thickness of each is entirely up to you.

1. Thinly slice the fresh cucumbers and onion.

Using a mandoline to slice a cucumber into a white bowl.

Thinly sliced Persian cucumbers in a white bowl with a white marble background.

2. Toss all ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

All ingredients of a sesame cucumber salad in a white bowl before being tossed.

Using silverware to toss ingredients of a sesame cucumber salad in a white bowl with a white background.

3. Taste, adjust and serve!

Sesame cucumber salad in a white bowl with a white marble background.

Recipe Tips

Chill the cucumbers before slicing. This dish is best served immediately while cold and crisp. The sliced cucumbers will naturally soften a bit once dressed, so if the cucumbers aren't chilled then you'll either need to refrigerate the salad to enjoy later (not as crisp) or enjoy at room temperature (not as cold). Chilling the cucumbers gives you the best of both!
Sprinkle in hemp seeds for added protein. The salad already has a little protein from the sesame seeds and tahini, but adding hemp seeds gives it a nice boost. It pairs perfectly with this dish and looks nice too!
Adjust to taste. The toasted sesame oil is strong, so start with less and add more if you want more sesame flavor. I tend to go heavy handed on the tahini and date syrup, as these two ingredients are what make the dish so unique.

Sesame cucumber salad in a black bowl served with chopsticks.

A spoon holding a bite of sesame cucumber salad above a black bowl.

I hope you enjoy this flavorful salad. And if you are digging the tahini-date syrup combo, definitely be sure to check out the viral carrot ribbon salad too!

5-Minute Sesame Cucumber Salad

Bold Flavors, Simple Ingredients – Here's What You'll Need

How to Make this Sesame Cucumber Salad

Recipe Tips