This Din Tai Fung cucumber salad copycat recipe is absolutely delicious. Just like the original, it is light and refreshing, with crisp cucumber bites in a wonderfully balanced sauce boasting tanginess, sweetness, and a hint of spice; enhanced even further with garlic and sesame. Enjoy this easy recipe with its delightful Taiwanese flavours in the comfort of your own home.
Din Tai Fung is a Chinese restaurant that was founded in Taiwan in 1958. Since then, it has grown from a mom-and-pop shop to having many locations in countries around the world. They are probably most famous for their delicious soup dumplings. However, they have many other delicious dishes on the menu and this cucumber salad is one that I never skip during my visits!
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Because it is a chilled and very refreshing dish, it is wonderful to serve on a hot summer day. However, this Din Tai Fung cucumber salad copycat is really great year-round as it serves as an excellent starter or side dish. It is easy to make, pairs very well with many asian foods, and it's a great make-ahead dish, too. Serve it with your favourite dumplings, noodles, fried rice, and main dishes. It's so versatile.
Make sure to try this lemon soba salad and this Japanese crab salad for more super refreshing and tasty side dishes.
Ingredients
- Persian cucumbers - Also called 'mini cucumbers', these cucumbers are nice and small, giving us perfect bite-sized pieces. They are seedless, sweet, contain less water, and have thinner skins than most other varieties of cucumbers. Choose cucumbers that are firm to the touch and have vibrant green skin.
- Salt - Regular table salt, sea salt, or kosher salt will do. We use the salt to remove excess moisture from the cucumbers and making them crunchier. Afterwards, it is rinsed away.
- Rice vinegar - It is made from fermented rice and has a flavour that is sweet and acidic.
- Sesame oil - This adds a wonderfully nutty flavour.
- Light soy sauce - This type of Chinese soy sauce is designed to have a savoury, salty flavour with a subtle soybean taste. It is lighter in colour than regular soy sauce.
- Mirin - A rice wine, similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content from the fermentation process. It has a sweet, tangy flavour.
- Sugar
- Garlic - Fresh, minced garlic plays a crucial role in the flavour of this recipe.
- Chili oil - Try to use a Chinese chili oil to best compliment the flavours of this dish.
- Optional garnish: I used a piece of mild Fresno chili pepper and a thin slice of fresh garlic to mimic the presentation from Din Tai Fung restuarant.
See the recipe card below for quantities.
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- Persian cucumbers - If you had to, you could substitute with English cucumbers. You may want to slice these a little bit thicker.
- Light soy sauce - You can substitute this with regular soy sauce, though keep in mind the colour of the sauce will be darker.
- Rice vinegar - If necessary, you can substitute with a distilled white vinegar. The flavour may be stronger so you might want to slightly reduce the quantity accordingly.
- Sesame oil - Toasted sesame oil can be used as a substitute.
- Sugar - Substitute with honey.
Instructions
Wash and dry the cucumbers. Cut them as evenly as possible into ½" (1 ¼cm) slices.
Tip: Evenly sliced cucumbers will be easier to stack.
Put the slices into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and toss to combine. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside for now.
When the cucumbers are ready, rinse off the salt and pat them dry.
Combine them with the sauce in a large bowl or zip top bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 days). Stir a couple of times to make sure they are evenly marinated.
Taste test and add a touch more salt if desired. To serve, arrange the cucumber slices in a stack on a serving plate with some sauce.
Drizzle with a bit of chili oil and sesame oil, and optionally garnish with garlic and pepper. Serve chilled.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Paper towels or clean kitchen towel
- Whisk
Storage
You can store this cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Rather than just marinating the cucumbers in the sauce for 20 minutes, continue to marinate them for however long you need, up to 2 days.
Tips for Success
- Use fresh, firm Persian cucumbers and high quality ingredients.
- Slice them as evenly as possible into ½" (1 ¼cm) slices. This will make for the best presentation, even marinating results, and the easiest stack-ability. You can achieve this with a sharp knife, or a Japanese mandoline can make this job extra easy.
- Use the full recommended times: 30 minutes salt soak, 20 minutes marination.
- Keep this dish refrigerated until immediately before serving. It is best enjoyed chilled.
FAQ
No, this dish is prepared leaving the cucumber skins intact. This benefits the crunchy texture.
Persian cucumber, also called 'mini cucumbers,' are the best to use in this cucumber salad. They are perfectly sized for making bite-sized pieces. Also, they are seedless, sweet, contain less water, and have thinner skins than most other varieties of cucumbers.
This Din Tai Fung cucumber salad copycat recipe is excellent for making ahead. Marinate the cucumbers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Rather than just marinating the cucumbers in the sauce for 20 minutes, continue to marinate them for however long you need, up to 2 days. You can also assemble the cucumbers on the serving plate up to an hour before serving. Immediately before serving, remove from the refrigerator and drizzle with chili and sesame oils.
Related
Looking for other Chinese recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are some of my favourite dishes to serve with this cucumber salad:
📖 Recipe
Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Marinate Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Taiwanese
Description
This Din Tai Fung cucumber salad copycat recipe is crisp, light, and refreshing, with a sauce that is tangy and sweet, with a hint of spice.
Ingredients
8 Persian cucumbers (about 700g)
1 tablespoon salt
Sauce:
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Garnish:
drizzle of chili oil
drizzle of sesame oil
slice of mild Fresno pepper
slice of fresh garlic
Instructions
Wash and dry the cucumbers. Cut them as evenly as possible into ½" (1 ¼cm) slices.
Put the slices into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and toss to combine. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside for now.
When the cucumbers are ready, rinse off the salt and pat them dry.
Combine them with the sauce in a large bowl or zip top bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 days). Stir a couple of times to make sure they are evenly marinated.
Taste test and add a touch more salt if desired. To serve, arrange the cucumber slices in a stack on a serving plate with some sauce.
Drizzle with a bit of chili oil and sesame oil, and optionally garnish with garlic and pepper. Serve chilled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 108
- Sugar: 8.5 g
- Sodium: 135.3 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.5 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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