Logan’s Whole Cucumber Salad: Cozy Garlicky Crunch
Logan’s Whole Cucumber Salad is a crunchy, garlicky jar of comfort that smells of sesame and gets shaken together right at the counter. You slice one whole English cucumber paper-thin and shake it in a jar with spring onion, raw garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, a pinch of MSG, and sesame seeds. After a short rest, it gets chili flakes to taste. It takes few ingredients, makes almost no dishes, and is best eaten right away while the cucumber is still crunchy.
Equipment
- Mandoline with hand guard (or sharp knife)
- Wide-mouth pint jar with tight-fitting lid
- Cutting board
- Clean kitchen towel
- Microplane (optional, for garlic)
- measuring spoons
- Small dry pan (optional, for toasting sesame seeds)
Ingredients
For the Crunchy Base
- 1 whole English cucumber firm with glossy skin, rinsed, dried, and sliced paper-thin (Persian cucumbers work too)
- 1 spring onion chopped, white and green parts (or chives)
For the Aromatics
- 1 clove garlic finely minced or grated
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce low-sodium, or gluten-free tamari
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce for vegan: skip it and add an extra ½ teaspoon soy sauce plus a few drops of lime juice
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1 pinch MSG optional; or a little extra soy sauce
For the Finish
- 1 sprinkle sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan about 1 minute if you like
- chili flakes optional, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the cucumber under cold running water and scrub the skin gently, using no soap or produce wash. Then pat it completely dry with a clean towel, because wet slices water down the dressing.
- Slice the cucumber into very thin rounds with a mandoline (always use the hand guard) or a sharp knife. Aim for slices you can almost see light through.
- Put the slices loosely into a wide-mouth pint jar. Don't fill it more than two-thirds full, so the slices have room to move when you shake.
- Chop the spring onion, using both the white and green parts. Mince or grate the garlic very finely, since it goes in raw.
- Add the spring onion and garlic on top of the cucumbers. Pour in the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil, then add the sugar, MSG, and sesame seeds.
- Seal the jar tightly and shake hard for 20 to 30 seconds, until every slice looks glossy and evenly coated.
- Let the jar rest 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate it about 10 minutes for a colder salad. Taste a slice. If the garlic feels too sharp, add a little more sugar and shake again.
- Add chili flakes to taste, starting with a small pinch, and shake gently once more. Eat it straight from the jar or tip it into a bowl, and serve while the cucumber is still crunchy.
Notes
Ingredient notes: Pick a firm English cucumber that feels heavy and doesn't give when you squeeze it gently. MSG is optional. The FDA considers added MSG generally recognized as safe; see its questions and answers on monosodium glutamate. Rinse produce with plain water only, as the FDA's guidance on selecting and serving produce safely advises.
Swaps: Use tamari to keep it gluten-free and low-sodium soy sauce for less salt. Chives can replace the spring onion and honey can replace the sugar. For a vegan version, skip the fish sauce and add an extra ½ teaspoon soy sauce plus a few drops of lime juice. Without MSG, a little extra soy sauce adds savory depth.
Upgrades: Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for about 1 minute, and watch them closely. A squeeze of lime or a splash of rice vinegar brightens the salad. Use chili crisp instead of flakes if you want more heat.
For a crowd: Use one jar for each cucumber so the shaking works well.
Serve with: chicken halloumi gyros, feta bean pasta, chickpea scoopable salad, or green goddess scoopable salad.
Troubleshooting: If the salad turns watery, the slices went in wet or sat too long. Dry them well, keep the rest short, and pour off any pooled liquid. If the garlic is too sharp, mince it finer or grate it, add a little sugar, and let the jar rest a few minutes. If it's too salty, add more cucumber slices, a pinch of sugar, and a few drops of lime juice, and use low-sodium soy sauce next time. If the slices went limp, slice thin, shake, rest briefly, and eat right away.
Storage: It keeps up to 2 hours on the counter. In a sealed jar in the fridge it's best within 24 hours and keeps up to 2 days, softening and turning more pickle-like. Freezing isn't recommended. Don't reheat it. Instead, let cold leftovers sit out about 10 minutes and shake gently.
No-waste ideas: Spoon leftover cucumbers and dressing over warm rice. Toss the slices into fried rice or a noodle stir-fry at the end. Stir the dressing into mayo for a sandwich spread, or drizzle it over a soft-boiled egg.
FAQs: No jar? Use a bowl with a lid or a regular bowl. Fish sauce adds depth but can be swapped as described above. It's best made right before eating; to prep ahead, keep the sliced cucumber and the dressing separate and shake them together just before serving. English or Persian cucumbers work best. It's only spicy if you add the optional chili flakes.