SALADS

Smashed Cucumber Edamame and Salmon Salad with Miso Vinaigrette

Smashed Cucumber Edamame and Salmon Salad with Miso Vinaigrette
Print

Smashed Cucumber Edamame and Salmon Salad with Miso Vinaigrette

Course: SALADSDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings



Smashed Cucumber Edamame and Salmon Salad with Miso Vinaigrette

If you’ve never smashed a cucumber before, you’re about to unlock one of the simplest tricks for making your salads taste next-level. In this craveable salad, crisp cucumbers mingle with edamame, salmon, and a savory-sweet Miso Vinaigrette. But the real action comes from the smashed cucumbers.

Why smash? When you lightly crush cucumbers, their skin cracks and the flesh fractures into uneven ridges. This increases surface area, creating more nooks and crannies for the miso vinaigrette to cling to. The result: every bite is coated in flavor, rather than the dressing sliding off smooth cucumber slices. Smashing also releases a little extra juice, which mingles with the Miso Vinaigrette for a fresher, more complex taste.

This method works beautifully in Asian-inspired recipes like this one, where the salty-umami miso and bright rice vinegar need maximum contact with the vegetables. Paired with protein-rich salmon and edamame, this smashed cucumber salad is satisfying enough for lunch yet light enough for warm-weather dinners.

P.S. Those little crunchy spheres on top of the salad are Chili Crisp flavored Salad Sprinkles. They are super crispy rice pellets that don’t get soggy and deliver the most addictive texture. Highly recommend!

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. Persian cucumbers

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 cup cooked edamame, cool

  • 2 tbsp dried wakame seaweed, reconstituted in water

  • 10 oz. salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • Avocado oil spray

  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp chili crisp 

  • 1 medium avocado, diced

  • 2 scallion tops, sliced

  • Sesame seeds, for garnish

  • Miso Vinaigrette

  • 1 in piece ginger, grated

  • 1-2 garlic cloves, grated

  • 3 tbsp plain rice vinegar

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 1 tbsp white miso paste

  • 6 tbsp neutral flavored oil such (eg. avocado or grapeseed)

  • 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  • Smash the cucumbers: Slice a thin sliver off the length of each cucumber so the cucumbers lay flush against the cutting board. Make 5 evenly spaced cuts through each cucumber.  Working with 2-3 cucumbers at a time, use a heavy bottomed pot to smash the cucumbers.  Place the cucumbers in a colander set into a large bowl and sprinkle with appx. 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt. Drain the cucumbers for at least 30 minutes.
  • Prepare the Miso Vinaigrette: Whisk together the grated ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, honey and miso.  While whisking, drizzle in the neutral oil in a slow, steady stream. Whisk in the toasted sesame oil. Season to taste. 
  • Lightly oil the salmon with avocado oil spray and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Air fry at 400° F for 8-10 min, until cooked through (I use a meat thermometer and cook mine until it reaches 145° F). While the salmon cooks, combine the toasted sesame oil and chili crisp.  When the salmon is finished cooking, paint it w/ the sesame oil/chili crisp mixture. Drain the wakame seaweed thoroughly. Using a clean dish towel, lightly dab the cucumbers and edamame to rid them of their surface moisture (not bone dry, but less moisture is best or you’ll have soggy salad).  Combine the cucumbers, edamame, seaweed, salmon, avocado and Miso Vinaigrette. Garnish with the scallion tops and sesame seeds and enjoy immediately.

Tags