Cucumber and Carrot Salad with Ginger Dressing

Cucumber and Carrot Salad with Ginger Dressing is a staple in our house. It’s one of our go-to salads year-round, and we’re especially fond of having it with all sorts of Asian-American dishes.

Princess Persnickety is a sushi fan, and Cucumber and Carrot Salad with Ginger Dressing is one of her favorites. When I first made it with only cucumbers several years ago, I think I put it in her lunchbox or something. Later she told me, “OMG, this is better than the one at the GOOD sushi place!” I was a little concerned that she was frequenting some not-good sushi place, but that’s somewhat beside the point.

This really is quick to throw together. First I whisk the dressing in whatever bowl I’m using to make the salad. Then I do the vegetables. You can slice your cukes by hand with a sharp knife, or you can use a mandolin. If I’m just making a single batch, the chef’s knife is actually faster than digging the mandolin out of the cabinet. You can grate a carrot–I often do–or you can throw in a handful of matchstick carrots from the produce section. I do that a lot of times, too.  It all depends on what’s hanging around in the produce drawer, needing to be used. Cucumber and Carrot Salad is good right away, and it keeps well for several days.

After tossing the salad, you’ll have quite a bit of the thin dressing in the bottom of the bowl. I transfer the salad to a quart jar and pour the remaining dressing over it. The reason I use a jar is that for the first several hours I take it out of the fridge and turn it over. That allows the dressing to coat everything more or less equally. After a couple of days your Cucumber and Carrot Salad will still be delicious, and almost like Asian quick pickles.

Finally, Cucumber and Carrot Salad with Ginger Dressing makes a great side dish, but that’s not all. Drained, the cucumbers are lovely on a crudité or relish plate. And it’s perfect on a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich.

Oh, and it’s great with anything from the GOOD sushi place.

Print Recipe

Cucumber and Carrot Salad with Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 T. toasted sesame oil
• 1 T. grated fresh ginger
• 2 T. honey or brown sugar
• 2 t. soy sauce
• ½ t. black pepper
• ¼ t. red pepper flakes
• 2 regular cucumbers or one English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, grated, or a handful of matchstick carrots

Instructions

• Put everything in a medium bowl except the cucumbers and carrots. Whisk well to combine and dissolve the honey or sugar.
• Add the vegetables and toss.
• Put the salad in a quart container with a tight lid and add the remaining dressing. Store in the refrigerator, turning the container to coat the vegetables every so often the first couple of hours. It will keep nearly a week in the fridge.