This is a salad I have made approximately 20 times in the past few weeks.
It’s so easy, so good, so FRESH, and so easy to iterate upon depending on what you have on-hand.
I really love cucumber. It’s easily one of my favorite “vegetables that’s technically a fruit.”
I love it sliced in my water, I love it sprinkled with some salt and eaten plain, and I love it in a cocktail (don’t knock it til you try it!).
But perhaps the most common way I use it? In salads.
I love the fresh, juicy bite it gives any salad, and using it as the star in a salad like this? Nothing better!
Like I mentioned, you can customize this salad based on the ingredients you have at home.
A lot of the time, I don’t have avocado (or the one I do have isn’t ripe yet… or it’s too ripe. You know how avocados are.), so I just leave it out. Or double-up on the edamame!
I also really love keeping with the “green” theme here and use green onion instead of shallot, but my store was completely out of green onions when I was making this recipe to shoot photos. So alas, we have shallot, and it worked just fine.
Every once in a while, I’ll top this salad with furikake (a Japanese seasoning that’s primarily made with seaweed and toasted sesame seeds). Trader Joe’s sells a version that’s vegan, and it’s a nice way to add even more green and texture to the dish!
As for what to serve the salad with? I love it alongside a burger, some gochujang maple tofu nuggets, or even as a fresh side to something like THE Buffalo Falafel Waffle. You really can’t go wrong!
Enjoy this savory, zippy, slightly sweet, kinda tangy cuke salad, friend!
PrintQuick & Easy Cucumber, Edamame, and Avocado Salad
A simple quick side that is savory, zippy, slightly sweet, and kinda tangy! Just a really great balance of flavors here and easily customizable based on the vegetables you have on-hand!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Category: Side
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (use tamari to keep this gluten free)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Pinch red pepper flakes (or small squeeze of Sriracha!)
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen*
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into half circles
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- 1 small shallot, sliced (you can also use 2 green onions, sliced)
- 1 small handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A sprinkle of furikake seasoning or toasted sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar. Whisk well to combine, until the brown sugar dissolves.
- Add the edamame, cucumber, avocado, and shallot, and mix to coat all ingredients in your sauce. Gently stir in your cilantro. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Top with furikake or sesame seeds if desired! Best enjoyed as soon as you make it.
Notes
* I buy mine frozen, so I just toss them in a cup and cover them with hot water to quickly thaw!
Made for lunch and just had a taste. It’s delicious! I used green onions and a little garlic powder bc that’s what I had.