Turkey Free Vegan Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Cool, crunchy, and loaded with bold flavor, this smashed cucumber salad is the kind of dish that disappears fast at any table. The technique of smashing rather than slicing the cucumbers is the real secret here — it creates jagged, porous edges that soak up every drop of the lemon tahini dressing instead of letting it slide right off. Salting and draining the pieces first pulls out excess moisture, so you get a salad that stays vibrant and crisp rather than watery and limp. The dressing itself is genuinely craveable: creamy tahini, bright lemon juice, a whisper of maple syrup, and earthy cumin come together into something that tastes far more complex than the ingredient list suggests. Scallion greens, fresh cilantro, and a pinch of red pepper flakes keep every bite lively, while toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil add a nutty, aromatic finish. Every single ingredient here is naturally plant-based, so there's no need to audit labels or swap anything out — it just works as written. This one is best served the moment it's dressed, which honestly isn't a problem because it's hard to stop eating.
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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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