Accordion Cucumber Salad

The Asian salad dressing is terrific for all salads, but it pairs particularly well with cucumbers for a spicy, crunchy, and refreshing salad. I like to accordion slice the cucumber for fun, but cut the cucumbers as you prefer. It's gluten-free and keto friendly. If you are looking for a soya-free option, then use tamari or coconut aminos instead.

2 Ridged cucumbers or 4 Persian cucumbers, accordion sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Shallot, minced
1 Garlic clove, minced
10 g Ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbsp Lime juice
1/2 tsp Chilli powder or to taste
1 Small red chilli, cut into rings
1 tsp Erythritol (or xylito)
2 tbsp Gluten-free soya sauce (I used Kikkoman)
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
1 Scallion, thinly sliced (or cilantro & chives)

Here is a video on how to accordian cut the cucumber that I found on Youtube.

Wash the cucumbers and cut off the ends. Place the cucumbers between two chopsticks and cut into about 3-5 mm thin slices. Turn the cucumber 180 degrees between the stems so that the uncut side is on top. Cut diagonal slices so that you can pull the cucumber apart like an accordion.
In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the cucumbers to sit to draw out their flavours.
To make the dressing, peel and finely dice the shallot, garlic and ginger. Mix the shallot, garlic, ginger, lime juice, chilli powder, chilli rings, maple syrup, soya sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, seeds and scallion. Season to taste with pepper.
When ready to serve, drain the cucumbers in a fine mesh strainer to remove any excess water. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle the dressing over the cucumbers.

41 comments:

Julie 8/9/23 13:26: Loved the accordion cut cucumber, salad looks refreshing too !!
Lola Martínez 8/9/23 14:24: Un pepino tan especiado no lo he probado nunca, aunque para todo hay una primera vez.
Muy interesante esa forma de cortarlo en acordeón, queda muy bonito.
Un beso.
Tom 8/9/23 15:30: ...this looks so festive!
David M. Gascoigne, 8/9/23 15:47: Looks wonderful. I love cucumbers.
Hena Tayeb 8/9/23 15:58: Oh yum.. I love a spicy cucumber salad.
DEZMOND 8/9/23 16:35: Very pretty and effective!
eileeninmd 8/9/23 17:17: It does look pretty, sounds great. Thanks for sharing. Take care, have a happy day!
Anonymous 8/9/23 18:06: Judee from Gluten Free A-Z Blog : I've seen this type of salad but never knew how to cut the cucumber. Thanks for the tips- I'll be giving this a try. Looks fabulous.
Bill 8/9/23 18:38: Looks good.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 8/9/23 21:35: We love cucumbers my son will love this also the salad looks awesome
Daniela 8/9/23 22:13: Ottima questa insalata e che carini i cetrioli a fisarmonica ^_^
David 8/9/23 23:33: Angie, Looks great... If only I could eat greens! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
roentare 8/9/23 23:51: That is my type of desert
Brian's Home Blog 9/9/23 00:41: Boy does that look great!
Granny Sue 9/9/23 02:17: Oh, that cucumber is brilliant! The recipe sounds delicious too, Angie.
My name is Erika. 9/9/23 02:30: I have tons of cucumbers coming in from my garden right now, and this looks like a nice change of pace from my usual cucumber salads. Happy weekend Angie.
Citu 9/9/23 04:28: Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso. https://enamoradadelasletras.blogspot.com/
Sherry's Pickings 9/9/23 06:37: this looks so fabulous Angie. Cukes are so refreshing and the dressing sounds terrific!
Margaret D 9/9/23 07:36: That does look delicious.
Mbul Kecil 9/9/23 09:42: Very fresh salad for this weekend....thanks for the video that make it easy to practice the recipe....good job Angie
Diane 9/9/23 10:57: Love this what fun. Cheers Diane
EricaSta 9/9/23 13:55: Wow... it looks delicious. I cook most without garlic, because I have low blood pressure yet.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina 9/9/23 15:04: Gorgeous! I've enjoyed Asian cucumber salads many times but never accordion style. What a lovely take on this classic dish.
Rose world 9/9/23 15:38: I just had cucumber in my rojak today. Rojak is something like salad too but with different type of sauce.

Never cut my cucumber in accordion style.
Chef Mimi 9/9/23 17:19: That is so pretty! Is it hard to eat?!!
thepaintedapron.com 9/9/23 19:28: Your presentations are always so beautiful, the accordian sliced cucumbers look amazing!
Angie's Recipes 9/9/23 19:41: @Chef Mimi Not at all...but you can cut it shorter if you like.
Grace 10/9/23 00:44: Genial!! Y mut sabrosa!!
Neil 10/9/23 07:52: Gosh that looks so fresh Angie!
Tania@mykitchenstories.com.au 10/9/23 10:04: Cucumbers make the best salad like this with garlic and chillis its a match made in heaven
Rainbow Evening 10/9/23 12:20: tasty and healthy......
thank you for sharing recipe
Eva Taylor 10/9/23 18:43: Look at how adorable those cucumber accordions are! I just love them! Such a unique way to serve cucumbers.
Eva https://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/
Anonymous 11/9/23 13:58: I love cucumbers. This dish not only sounds so tasty, it is also beautiful to see. What a great presentation!
Anonymous 11/9/23 18:56: My jaw dropped when I saw this on instagram. It's absolutely gorgeous -- I love the slicing technique and the sauce is amazing!! :-) ~Valentina
Cooking Julia 11/9/23 23:22: The cutting is incredible and the dressing must be so flavorful!
Anonymous 12/9/23 09:51: I love how you have arranged the cucumbers Angie and the dressing looks delicious.
Pam 13/9/23 18:06: Wow!!! So fun, cool, and delicious!
Cocoa and Lavender 13/9/23 19:17: I have been playing with these accordions, too, with much of the same flavors. They definitely are fun... if a little awkward to eat at the table! But I still serve them that way because "fun" is better than "practical!"
Raymund 14/9/23 02:01: The accordion slicing adds a fun touch to the presentation, nice work
tigerfish 14/9/23 02:08: I love Asian salad dressing esp sesame oil based with that punch from garlic, lime, chili. And it works particularly well with cucumbers for some reason.
Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina 27/9/23 16:43: I love a delicious Asian cucumber salad and need to try your recipe. It has so many yummy ingredients in it! And thank you for including the video on how to accordian slice the cucumbers, Angie!