Name: Smashed Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2lb cucumbers (ideally Persian or English); 1/2 tsp salt; 3 cloves of garlic (minced); 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp rice vinegar

We've been eating a lot of dumplings at restaurants like Dumpling Time or Dumpling Story (get the juicy bao), and this is one of our favorite side dishes. We found this recipe - https://cjeatsrecipes.com/chinese-smashed-cucumber-salad/ and it turns out that we love it.

2lb cucumbers (ideally Persian or English)

1/2 tsp salt

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

Smash the cucumbers: cut them into 1-2" pieces, then smash them with the flat of your knife (you may need to cut the skins a little). Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

(optional) Use a spoon to scoop the seeds out, this will make the salad less watery

Whisk the remainder of the ingredients together

Mix with the cucumbers

Marinate for 15-30 minutes