I love cucumber, I probably eat it on an almost daily basis in some sort of salad. I spent some time in Vietnam and cucumber there wasn’t just something you add to bulk up a salad. Cucumber was always somewhere on the table. They just seemed to add it to almost everything. But on those super hot, humid days that fresh cucumber was the best.
So I thought I would do an asian inspired version of a classic cucumber and fennel salad. But don’t be fooled, this is no boring salad, it’s packed full of flavour and got some heat! So if your a spice wimp like me, use only half a chilli and take out the white plith, cos that’s where the heat is at.
In my cucumber salad research most recipes seem to call for salting the cucumbers and leaving them for an hour to drain some water out before serving. So I tried this method and drumroll….nothing happened. So if you want to make your life easy leave the salting part out. Just slice thinly and eat soon after making.
Cucumber and Fennel Salad
Serves 4 as a side salad
dairy free, gluten free, vegan
1 cucumber
1 fennel
dressing
1 garlic clove
1 inch ginger
1 chili pepper
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
salt
Finely slice the fennel and cucumber using a mandolin if you have one.
In a frying pan lightly toast the sesame seeds for a couple of minutes on a medium heat until golden brown.
Roughly chop the ginger and chili. Then in a pestle and mortar smash the garlic, ginger and chili pepper into a rough paste. Mix with the rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil.
Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix well. Add salt to taste. Top with toasted sesame seeds.
