5-Min Spicy Miso Cucumber Salad That Will Hook You Forever!

If you're looking for a crunchy and delicious vegetable side dish that can be prepared in just five minutes then you need to try this spicy izakaya inspired smashed cucumber salad. You can also find this recipe on my website along with 400 Japanese recipes just google smashed cucumber space stachi to find the written recipe. Let's get started with our flavor packed sauce. Into a mixing bowl add 1 tablespoon of Japanese soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of Chinese style chicken bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon of yellow miso paste, 1 teaspoon of chili oil and 1 teaspoon of chili bean sauce. We're using tobanjan here, that amazing Sichuan condiment that brings just the right amount of heat. Don't sweat it if you can't find it though, gochujang works great as a backup. Just mix everything until it's smooth and you've worked out all those little miso lumps. Grab two Japanese cucumbers or if you're using English cucumber just half the amount, give them a quick wash, dry them off and trim the ends. Now here's where it gets fun, take your rolling pin or a sturdy beer mug and give those cucumbers a good smush. You're aiming for that sweet spot between gentle taps and total destruction, enough force to create cracks without turning your cucumber into mush. Those cracks are like little flavor pockets that'll soak up all the amazing sauce we just made. Next use your hands to tear the smashed cucumber into rough bite-sized chunks. Those jagged edges grab onto the sauce way better than clean knife cuts ever could. Cutting with a knife tends to make the cuts too smooth and the sauce simply slides right off. By the way smashed cucumber originates from Sichuan China where they absolutely love their bold spices. In Japan you'll find these dishes called tataki kyuri and it's a staple at izakaya restaurants and yakiniku spots like gyukaku too. Since we're talking izakaya vibes here, I wanted to know that you can't stop eating quality that keeps you coming back for more. Toss everything into your sauce bowl and give it a good mix until every piece is nicely coated. If you've got some time, cover it and let it hang out in the fridge. The longer it sits, the more those flavors get to know each other. It's perfect for meal prep but I've got to warn you, you might find yourself sneaking bites straight from the fridge. Been there, done that. If you're serving right away, finish it off with a sprinkle of chili threads or flakes and sesame seeds. And that's it, delicious Japanese-style smashed cucumber with a spicy miso sauce. Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description. Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time and if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen. There we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen now and if you want to watch more similar videos, don't miss my izakaya recipe playlist popping up on your screen as well. Thanks so much for watching and I'll see you in the next one. Bye.