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–+ servings
A stack of cucumbers on a plate just like Din Tai Fung.
5 from 1 vote

Din Tai Fun Cucumber Salad

This copycat Din Tai Fung cucumber salad is extremely easy to make and takes only 15 minutes! The cucumbers are crisp, tossed in a light dressing that's sweet, savory, and tangy, and topped with a drizzle of aromatic chili oil. It's the perfect accompaniment to some siu mai and Chinese sticky rice. Also, try our Chinese garlic green beans for another delicious DTF copycat recipe!
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound Persian cucumbers washed
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar not the seasoned version
  • 5 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon msg
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic thinly siced
  • 1 red fresno pepper deseeded and cut into small diamonds (optional for garnish and a little heat)
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese chili oil *see notes

Instructions

  • Prepare the cucumbers:
    Trim and discard the ends of the cucumbers and cut the cucumbers into ¾ inch coins. Place them into a bowl and mix well with salt. Let the cucumbers salt for about 15 minutes, giving them a mix midway through.
  • Make the dressing:
    In a mixing bowl, combine the water, sugar, soy sauce, msg, and sesame oil. Mix until the sugar and msg has dissolved. Add the garlic slices and fresno pepper and give everything a mix. Let it marinate while the cucumbers are salting.
  • Rinse the cucumbers:
    After salting, rinse the cucumbers a few times with fresh water to remove excess salt. Then place them on paper towels and pat them dry.
  • Marinate and enjoy:
    Place the cucumbers into the prepared dressing and toss well. Let them soak in the marinade for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cucumbers onto a plate assembled into a 3 tier pyramid. The bottom with 9 pieces of cucumbers, middle with 4, and finishing with 1 on top. Garnish the top of the pyramid with a slice of garlic and a piece of pepper. Drizzle a little more of the dressing over everything along with some Chinese chili oil. Enjoy!

Notes

Please refer to the post above for photo references, tips, storage, and FAQs!
  • Chinese chili oil - although you can use any chili oil you prefer, we highly recommend making our homemade Chinese chili oil. It's mildly spicy and super fragrant, a very prominent flavor in Din Tai Fung's cucumber salad. So to truly replicate the recipe, this is a very important ingredient.
  • Try to keep the cucumbers uniformed in size for both even seasoning and for DTF presentation.

Nutrition

Serving: 7pieces of cucumbers | Calories: 56.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.4g | Protein: 0.9g | Fat: 2.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 1249.7mg | Potassium: 173.2mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 5.9g | Vitamin A: 119.1IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Keywords: dim sum recipes, din tai fung style, easy recipe
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