Get this recipe and others from my new cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen.

Is any Chinese meal really complete without a dish of this savory, garlicky smacked cucumber salad on the side? The sauce is a piquant mix of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar, with a drizzle of chili oil for aroma. Simply smash and cut the cucumbers, toss them in the sauce and adjust until the flavors sing. It’s an effortless dish that’s always refreshing.

Tips for making this recipe:

• Use good-quality cucumbers! I like to buy local organic cucumbers from my farmers market as I’ve found they have the best flavor. In terms of variety, hothouse cucumbers (the long, slender ones), Persian, or Japanese cucumbers work best as they have thinner skin and very few seeds.
• Smack the cucumber with the flat blade of a wide chef’s knife/cleaver or a rolling pin, then cut on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces. This is actually a crucial step for flavor: when you split open the cucumber this way, it creates craggy edges and rough surfaces that better absorb the sauce.
• The Sichuan chili oil is optional but recommended if you want a bit of heat (and a drizzle of it makes the dish look prettier!).

If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah.che, I love seeing your re-creations!

Get more recipes like this in my new cookbook with Penguin Random House, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen!

📖 Recipe

Smacked Cucumber Salad 拍黄瓜

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

Perfumed with sesame oil and garlic, this crunchy and refreshing cucumber salad is one of the most ubiquitous Chinese starter dishes, and everyone makes it differently, so feel free to adjust until it’s exactly the way you like it—a pinch more sugar for extra sweetness; black vinegar for a mellower, fragrant aroma; pale rice vinegar for sharper, fruity acidity; extra chili oil for roasted, smoky notes; or one or two thinly sliced bird’s-eye chiles for heat. At some Chinese restaurants, they’ll scatter a handful of crisp fried peanuts on top right before serving. And be sure to whack the cucumber with the blade of a Chinese cleaver or a large rolling pin until it splits: the craggy edges look more appealing, and the rough surfaces of the cool, juicy flesh better absorb the sweet-sharp flavors of the dressing.

• Author: Hannah
• Prep Time: 40
• Total Time: 40
• Yield: 4
• Category: Side Dishes
• Method: No Cook
• Cuisine: Chinese
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 long hothouse cucumber or 3 small Persian cucumbers (12 ounces/340 grams)*
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Chinkiang black vinegar (sub clear rice vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan chili oil (with sediment), ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh red chiles

Instructions

• Trim off both ends of the cucumber. Lay it on a cutting board and smack it a few times with the flat side of a Chinese cleaver, knife blade, or heavy rolling pin until it splits into large pieces. (To prevent the seeds from flying out over your counter, you can also place the cucumber in a zip-top bag or wrap it in a towel first.) Cut the split cucumber at a diagonal into ½-inch bite-sized pieces. Place them in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly with the salt, then cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. 
• Drain off any water the cucumber has released (without rinsing off the salt). Add the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil and toss to coat, adjusting the seasonings to taste; more soy sauce for savoriness, more vinegar for acidity, or chili oil for extra aroma and heat. Let sit in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes before serving.
• The cucumbers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

*Avoid thick-skinned, seedy cucumbers—the best choice is slender hothouse cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or Japanese kyuri cucumbers, which have delicate, thin skin, smaller seeds, and crunchier flesh. 

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
• Calories: 58
• Sugar: 1.9g
• Sodium: 303.5mg
• Fat: 4.6g
• Carbohydrates: 4g
• Protein: 0.8g

Keywords: cucumber, smacked cucumber, chinese cucumber salad

Fresh summer rolls served with a dipping sauce that’s so good you’ll want to lick it off your fingers. A light, satisfying meal and a great way to get in an abundance of raw veggies. Vegan and gluten-free. 

Summer Rolls (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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I’ve made countless variations of bliss ball recipes and I think this one is my new favorite: these fudgy truffles are cacao-rich (reminiscent of brownie bites) and packed with fiber, antioxidants, minerals, nourishing fats, and protein. They’re easy to make as well— only nine ingredients required!

Apart from being refined sugar-free, this recipe is also gluten-free and oil-free, and easily made nut-free if you substitute tahini or sunflower butter for the almond butter. I personally don’t like bliss balls that are too sweet, and these contain just enough pitted dates and maple syrup to ensure the ingredients bind together.

I love homemade snack recipes because they’re typically more wholesome than anything you can buy in a store, and the ingredients are easily variable. This snack is especially satiating; I often bring a few for an afternoon energy boost or eat them as before/after-workout fuel.

If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah__chia, I love seeing your re-creations!

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📖 Recipe

Chocolate Brownie Bliss Balls (Vegan, GF)

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

The perfect energy-boosting snack: raw, fudgey, chocolate-y morsels made from simple and wholesome ingredients. Rolled oats and medjool dates are blended with almond butter and cacao powder, then rolled in matcha powder, cacao powder, and shredded coconut. Makes 25-27.

• Author: Hannah
• Prep Time: 15
• Total Time: 15
• Category: Desserts & Sweets
• Method: No Bake
• Cuisine: Raw

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 6 medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup cacao powder
• ¼ cup (4 tbsp) almond butter
• 2 tbsp shelled hemp seeds*
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ cup plant-based milk or water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Blend oats in food processor until it forms a flour/meal consistency. Add in dates and pulse until loose crumbs form.
2. Add in all other ingredients and pulse until combined. Knead together until the mixture sticks together, adding more liquid if necessary.
3. Roll into balls and dip into desired toppings** to coat (optional). The bliss balls will keep for 1-2 weeks if stored in the fridge, or even longer in the freezer.

Notes

• *You can substitute chia seeds or ground flax seed for the hemp seed.
• **I dipped mine in matcha powder, more cacao powder, and shredded coconut.
• Nutrition facts here.

Coconut whip with watermelon is actually really, really good. I was a little skeptical of combining the two but it works so well.

Watermelon Cake

Cold watermelon paired with a creamy coconut whipped topping makes for the perfect alternative dessert (that accommodates most dietary restrictions too!). A fun way to serve watermelon at your next gathering.

• I used So Delicious' CocoWhip, found in the freezer aisle of most grocery stores (you'll have to thaw it first). It's the perfect amount of sweetness and so convenient to use. You can also make your own coconut whip by refrigerating a can of coconut cream overnight and then scooping out the hardened cream part and beating it with the sweetener of your choice until whipped peaks form.

The easiest two-ingredient dessert, perfect for when you’re craving something cold and sweet. Tastes just like a creamy sorbet. Topping options: frozen berries, nut butter, cacoa nibs, chopped nuts, etc. Vegan, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free.

Blueberry Nice Cream

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A tasty and dramatic-looking parfait made by layering matcha chia pudding, a black sesame nicecream, vanilla almond yogurt, homemade granola, and fresh blackberries. 

Black Sesame Matcha Parfait (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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• *Activated charcoal powder is tasteless and is used to create a dramatic dark hue. You can find it at most grocery and health stores.
• **If you don't have black sesame powder, you can make your own by blitzing toasted black sesame seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine.

A breakfast parfait made by layering cold overnight oats and a simple raspberry compote. Makes enough for one meal-sized serving or two snack servings.

Raspberry Peanut Butter Oat Parfait (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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Using fresh corn adds a subtle sweetness and juicy crunch— my local grocery store was having a sale (7 ears for $1!) since corn is in season right now, but if you only have frozen that works too, just make sure to thaw before use. The salad can keep in the fridge for up to six days and is ideal for meal-prep.

I roasted some sweet potatoes to pair with the salad (scrub and bake in the oven at 400F until fork tender, about 40-45 minutes depending on size).

Easy Bean Salad (Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-Free)

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• *You can use any variety of canned beans including black beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo (chickpeas), etc. I used chickpeas and black beans. Rinse your beans well to eliminate the liquid that causes gas.
• **The runny kind of tahini works best— you can also use sub olive oil. 

Easy two-layer parfait made up of a creamy cold chocolate peanut butter overnight oats and chia pudding. Not only delicious but satisfying due to the protein content– the perfect breakfast or snack! Serve with cherries or fresh fruit of choice.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfait

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A simple but delicious parfait made by layering matcha chia pudding and coconut nicecream. Topped with kiwi, coconut chips, and raspberries. Loaded with antioxidants and rich in protein!

Matcha Coconut Chia Parfait

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