Artificial Food Coloring Free Vegan Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Smashing cucumbers before salting them is a technique that transforms a humble vegetable into something genuinely exciting — the jagged edges and cracked skin soak up dressing in a way that neat slices never could. After a quick drain in the colander, the pieces stay crisp and the lemon tahini dressing clings to every craggy surface instead of sliding off into a watery puddle at the bottom of the bowl. That dressing itself is worth making on repeat: tahini, fresh lemon juice, a touch of maple syrup, and ground cumin come together into something creamy, bright, and deeply savory all at once. Scallion greens, torn cilantro, and a pinch of red pepper flakes keep the whole thing feeling fresh and a little lively. Every single ingredient here is exactly what it says it is — whole foods, nothing processed, nothing that could sneak in synthetic dyes or artificial additives. Toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil finish it off with a nutty richness that makes this feel like a restaurant-quality dish you threw together in under twenty minutes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 ½ lb persian cucumbers (about 8–10 small)
- ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (green tops only)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly torn
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
For the dressing
- ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp water, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
For serving
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim the ends off the cucumbers. Place them on a cutting board and smash each one firmly with the flat side of a chef's knife or the bottom of a heavy mug until the skin cracks and the flesh splits open. Tear or cut the smashed cucumbers into rough 1- to 1½-inch pieces and transfer to a colander set over the sink.
- 2
Toss the cucumber pieces with ½ tsp of the kosher salt and let them drain in the colander for 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. This draws out excess water so the dressing clings rather than pools.
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