creamy cucumber crunch

Written By Clara M

This creamy cucumber salad is firmly in my top 10 heatwave lunches. Crisp cucumber is layered over a silky tahini-tofu dressing and finished with chili oil, toasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and fresh coriander.

It's cool, refreshing, packed with texture, and comes together in minutes. I love serving it with cold rice noodles on the side for an easy, no-fuss meal on the hottest days.

ingredients:

serves 2

1 large cucumber, diced

for the dressing :

  • 380 g silken tofu

  • 2 tbsp tahini

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 tbsp of syrup (I used papaya syrup)

  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast

  • 1/2 garlic clove

  • pinch of msg

for the toppings:

  • toasted peanuts

  • sesame seeds, to taste

  • 2 tbsp chili oil

  • coriander, to taste

instructions:

prepare the cucumber

  • Dice the cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Refrigerate until ready to serve so it stays crisp and cool.

make the dressing

  • Add the silken tofu, tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, syrup, nutritional yeast, garlic, and a pinch of msg to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Readjust seasoning to taste.

assemble the salad

  • Spread a few spoonfuls of the dressing onto a serving plate. Pile the diced cucumber on top, then spoon over the remaining dressing.

  • Finish with the chili oil, toasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and fresh coriander.

serve

  • Serve immediately while the cucumber is cold and refreshing. This salad is especially good with cold rice noodles on the side.

*For the full experience, pair it with: She’s A Bad Mama Jama - Carl Carlton

Clara M
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