Smashed Cucumber Salad — a plant-based British recipe by BOSH!
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Smashed Cucumber Salad

We genuinely can't stop making this one. There's something so satisfying about smashing a cucumber and turning it into this bold, crunchy, flavour-packed salad that tastes way more exciting than it has any right to. The rough, jagged edges from the smashing soak up all the dressing and create these brilliant little pockets of flavour in every bite. It's cool and refreshing but with a proper kick, and it comes together in a way that just works. Make this tonight, it'll surprise you.

Cook: 60 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Teaspoon
  • Cleaver or large knife
  • Second mixing bowl (for dressing)

Ingredients

  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 firm avocado
  • 4 spring onions
  • 2 cucumbers
  • fresh coriander
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 lime
  • 1 red chilli
  • tbsp sesame seeds
  • 120g edamame beans

Method

1

For the salad

  • Start by slicing your cucumbers in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon, discarding them
  • Lay the cucumbers flat on a chopping board skin side up, then place the cleaver flat across the back of the cucumber and press down using the palm of the hand smashing the cucumber into the board until it splits
  • Once all of the cucumbers have been smashed slice them diagonally into chunks 2cm - 3cm thick and pop them into a large mixing bowl along with the edamame beans, chopped coriander and thinly sliced green pepper and spring onions
  • Remove the skin and stone from the avocado and slice into bite size chunks, similar in size to the cucumber
  • Cover with a tea towel and leave in the fridge while you prepare the dressing
2

For the chilli oil

  • Roughly chop the chilli including the seeds if you like it extra hot and add to a mixing bowl along with the juice of a lime
  • Then add the sesame oil, ginger paste, sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil and maple syrup and stir to combine
  • Finish with a pinch of sea salt flakes
3

Time to serve

  • Toss the salad in the chilli oil until it's well coated and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Salt it properly: Don't rush the salting step. Give the cucumber a good 20 minutes with salt before dressing it, it makes a real difference to the texture and means the flavours hit harder.
  • Make it spicier: We love adding a finely sliced fresh chilli or a big pinch of chilli flakes if we want a bit more heat. Trust us on this one, it takes it to another level.
  • Serve it straight away: Once the dressing goes on, this is best eaten pretty quickly. The cucumber starts to soften over time, so dress it just before you're ready to eat for maximum crunch.

Why This Works

The trick is in the smash. Splitting the cucumber rather than slicing it creates all these uneven surfaces that cling onto the dressing instead of letting it slide off, so every single chunk is properly seasoned. We also salt the cucumber first to draw out excess water, which keeps it beautifully crunchy and stops the whole thing going watery and sad in the bowl.