Thai Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Peanuts

Jazz up those summer cucumbers with this Thai-flavored cucumber salad that’s sweet, sour, spicy and crunchy.

A few months ago, I caved and finally bought a spiralizer (this Paderno spiralizer [affiliate link] that now I can’t live without.)

I held out for a long time thinking that a) I really really DID NOT need another kitchen gadget and b) I would never be replacing my beloved pasta with vegetable noodles.

Well, turns out I’m using this thing at least weekly (now even more thanks to my CSA share glut of summer veggies) and I’ve actually been enjoying mixing zoodles with my linguini, sauteing ribbons of summer squash with garlic and tomatoes and serving spiralized baked potato fries when grilling out.

So, with my new kitchen tool in full swing, I was ready for this month’s Recipe ReDux theme:

Get Your Fruits and Veggies in Shape: With produce galore, now’s a great time to enjoy lots of fruits and vegetables. Show us how you’re serving the bounty of gardens and orchards in shapes like ribbons, noodles, cut-outs, or other creative cuts.

I first thought I’d just change the cut on these Sesame Ginger-Pickled Cucumbers – making them into ribbons and calling them an Asian Cucumber Salad.

But then I decided to get out the fish sauce and go step further.

Now, if fish sauce is not in your pantry because a) you’ve never heard of it or b) you’re turned off by the smell, I’m now going to try to persuade you to buy a bottle.

Fish sauce is the liquid from fermented fish with salt added to it. It’s an essential ingredient in many Asian cultures.  Despite its rather pungent fishy smell (I keep it wrapped in double plastic bags in my basement pantry), it provides a wonderful umami or savory flavor to so many dishes – remarkably without a fishy taste (unless you add way too much.)

Besides using it for Thai or Vietnamese dishes, here are two posts that give some excellent ideas on using fish sauce:
5 Unexpected Ways to Use Fish Sauce via The Kitchn (in guacamole!)
15 Ways To Use Fish Sauce in Non-Asian Cooking via @Bon Appetit

I love this salad because it comes together so quickly and it’s a nice change from your basic leafy green salad you might serving at a cookout or barbecue party. You could swap in zucchini or summer squash if you cut them very thinly.

Thai Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Peanuts

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• Author: by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Jazz up those summer cucumbers with this Thai-flavored cucumber salad that’s sweet, sour, spicy and crunchy.

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Ingredients

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• 3 large cucumbers, peeled
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

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Instructions

1. Cut cucumbers into ribbons using a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler. Place in a colander and drain for 15 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together fish sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, lime juice and crushed red pepper.
3. Place cucumbers in a serving bowl and toss with sauce. (At this point you can refrigerator until ready to serve.)
4. Before serving, toss with cilantro and top with peanuts.

Do you own a spiralizer? What’s your favorite way to cut up summer veggies? Do you have fish sauce in your pantry?

Check out all the different ways you can cut and serve your summer veggies in these recipe ideas from fellow ReDuxers below: