Mustard Free Vegan Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Smashing cucumbers before salting them is a technique that genuinely transforms the texture — the jagged, cracked edges soak up dressing in a way that neat slices never could. After a quick drain to pull out excess water, every rough-cut piece gets coated in a creamy lemon tahini dressing built from just a handful of pantry staples: tahini, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, and ground cumin. The result is bright, nutty, and just a little spicy from the red pepper flakes, with fresh cilantro and scallion greens adding a clean herby lift. Many store-bought dressings and condiments sneak in mustard or mustard flour as an emulsifier, but this one comes together with nothing more than a whisk and a little patience — no hidden ingredients to worry about. Toasted sesame seeds and an optional drizzle of sesame oil finish the bowl with a satisfying crunch and depth that makes it feel far more special than the effort involved. It's the kind of salad that disappears fast, so you might want to make a double batch.
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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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