BHA & BHT Free Vegan Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Smashing cucumbers before salting them is a technique that genuinely changes the texture — the jagged, cracked edges soak up dressing in a way that neat slices never do. Once the excess water drains away, every rough-edged piece gets coated in a creamy lemon tahini dressing built from scratch with fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, ground cumin, and extra-virgin olive oil. The result is bright, nutty, a little spicy from the red pepper flakes, and finished with toasted sesame seeds for crunch. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable, which matters when you're trying to avoid the synthetic preservatives BHA and BHT that sneak into packaged dressings, bottled tahini blends, and even some sesame oils. Making the dressing yourself from well-stirred tahini and a squeeze of fresh lemon takes about two minutes and puts you fully in control of what goes into the bowl. The scallion greens and torn cilantro keep things fresh and herbaceous without weighing the salad down. This is the kind of dish that disappears fast — serve it immediately while the cucumbers still have that satisfying snap.
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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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