Wheat 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 surfaces soak up dressing in a way that neat slices never could. After a quick drain in the colander, the pieces stay crisp rather than watery, which means the lemon tahini dressing clings to every bite instead of sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl. That dressing itself is the real star: tahini, fresh lemon juice, a touch of maple syrup, and ground cumin come together into something creamy, bright, and just a little smoky. Scallion greens, torn cilantro, and red pepper flakes keep the whole thing feeling fresh and lively without overwhelming the cool cucumber. Every ingredient here is naturally free of wheat, so there's no need to swap anything out or scrutinize labels — it just works as written. Finished with toasted sesame seeds and an optional drizzle of sesame oil, this salad is the kind of thing you'll want to make on repeat all summer long.
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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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