Din Tai Fun Cucumber Salad
This copycat Din Tai Fung cucumber salad is extremely easy to make and takes only 15 minutes! The cucumbers are crisp, tossed in a light dressing that's sweet, savory, and tangy, and topped with a drizzle of aromatic chili oil. It's the perfect accompaniment to some siu mai and Chinese sticky rice. Also, try our Chinese garlic green beans for another delicious DTF copycat recipe!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- No separate cook time
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 pound Persian cucumbers (washed)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not the seasoned version)
- 5 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon msg
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic (thinly siced)
- 1 red fresno pepper (deseeded and cut into small diamonds (optional for garnish and a little heat))
- ½ teaspoon Chinese chili oil (*see notes)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the cucumbers:Trim and discard the ends of the cucumbers and cut the cucumbers into ¾ inch coins. Place them into a bowl and mix well with salt. Let the cucumbers salt for about 15 minutes, giving them a mix midway through.
- 2
Make the dressing:In a mixing bowl, combine the water, sugar, soy sauce, msg, and sesame oil. Mix until the sugar and msg has dissolved. Add the garlic slices and fresno pepper and give everything a mix. Let it marinate while the cucumbers are salting.
- 3
Rinse the cucumbers:After salting, rinse the cucumbers a few times with fresh water to remove excess salt. Then place them on paper towels and pat them dry.
- 4
Marinate and enjoy:Place the cucumbers into the prepared dressing and toss well. Let them soak in the marinade for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cucumbers onto a plate assembled into a 3 tier pyramid. The bottom with 9 pieces of cucumbers, middle with 4, and finishing with 1 on top. Garnish the top of the pyramid with a slice of garlic and a piece of pepper. Drizzle a little more of the dressing over everything along with some Chinese chili oil. Enjoy!