This Chili & Soy Cucumber Salad is based on the viral food trend that has taken the internet by storm! An entire cucumber is sliced and combined with spicy and salty ingredients and the results are addictive!

Virl Cucumber Salad

Now deemed “the cucumber guy”, TikTok content creator Logan Moffitt rose to social media fame by posting videos of him making variations of a cucumber salad. “Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber…”, is how his cucumber-focused videos begin, with many replicating the flow and concept of his recipes. He’s amassed 7 million TikTok followers and nearly 2 million on Instagram.

What I love about these recipes is they take a humble and accessible ingredient (the cucumber), and transform it into something insanely craveable. While he has countless renditions of his cucumber salad, this Asian-inspired version stuck out to me, so I had to try it. Spoiler: it does not disappoint, and truly makes it easy to eat an entire cucumber in one sitting. Read on to learn how to make it!

Ingredients for Chili & Soy Cucumber Salad

• English Cucumbers: The skin on this long and thin cucumber variety makes for easier eating, and its core doesn’t contain large seeds.
• Red Onion: A little goes a long way, offering a lightly spicy bite.
• Garlic: 1 clove is all it takes!
• Soy Sauce: I’m partial to Aminos since it includes less salt than traditional soy sauce.
• Sesame Oil: There’s no substitute! This oil offers a toasted nuttiness that rounds out the salty flavors nicely.
• Ume Plum Vinegar: My secret ingredient in countless recipes. This vinegar has less bite than traditional vinegars and packs a salty punch. There are a number of health benefits thanks to organic acids like citric acid and polyphenols that are present, which occur naturally through the fermentation process.
• Chili Oil: I love the flavor of this Chili Crisp, which is packed in a spicy oil.
• Sesame Seeds: A nice little crunch that adds a delicate sesame flavor.

How To Make A Cucumber Salad

1. Using a handheld mandoline, slice your cucumber into a quart deli container. I like slicing mine a little thicker – using this mandoline I sliced at a “1”. Be sure to use the protective stopper, or just make sure you stop slicing when you have ample cucumber left – no need to lose a finger here!
2. Slice red onion and add to the container, followed by 1 grated garlic clove.
3. Add soy sauce (or aminos), Ume plum vinegar (or rice wine vinegar), sesame oil, chili oil, Sriracha, and sesame seeds.
4. Place the lid on the container and shake away! Shake until all contents are entirely combined.
5. Enjoy straight from the container or transfer to a serving dish.

Other light salad recipes to try:

• Pasta Salad With Chickpeas, Spinach, And Olives
• Peach And Goat Cheese Salad With Walnuts
• Fennel, Cucumber, And Hazelnut Salad
• Simple Green Salad

Products and Ingredients Used In This Recipe

• Deli Quart Containers
• Handheld Mandoline
• Ume Plum Vinegar
• Chili Crisp (I just use the chili oil in this for this recipe)
• Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (soy substitute)
• Sesame Oil

Tried it? Loved it? Share it!

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Tags: Cucumber, Cucumber Salad, featured, Food Trends, Side DIsh, soy sauce