Cucumber noodles are the answer when your garden is overflowing, and you've already made every salad you can think of. They take minutes to make, they look impressive on the plate, and they pair with almost anything you're grilling. One cucumber, a little salt, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. That's it!
Once you grow cucumbers, you know how fast they come in. One week, there's nothing. Next week, you have eight of them and no plan. You can only eat so many sliced into salads, and you've already made 12 quarts of pickles.
Spiralizing them into noodles gives you something fun, fresh, and a little unexpected. Plus, the whole thing comes together in about 15 minutes.
No cooking, no oven, no effort. Spiralize, salt, rest, toss. The result is a fresh, light side dish that holds its own next to grilled meats and sliced garden tomatoes.
My favorite way to turn cucumber noodles into a complete meal is to pair them with pan-seared salmon, rice, and miso butter sauce for an elevated plate.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ready in 15 minutes with 4 ingredients.
- No cooking required.
- It's a great use for garden cucumbers when you have more than you know what to do with.
Ingredients
There are only a few things you need to make fresh cucumber noodles.
- Cucumber: Fresh cucumbers make a tasty snack and are pretty easy to grow in a garden if you have the space for a climbing vine. If buying a cucumber at the store, buy the English type that is wrapped in plastic and considered seedless, although its seeds are just smaller. Seeds add water to the salad, so remove them before adding them to salads or salsas. The spiralizer does this for you. Some skins are thick and bitter. Taste a piece first. If the skin tastes bitter, peel it before spiralizing. Mixing cucumbers into fresh fruit salsas like grilled chicken thighs with peach salsa or my strawberry salsa is a unique way to eat them.
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: The salt pulls excess moisture out of the cucumber noodles during the 10-minute rest. Don't skip this step, or you'll end up with watery noodles in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: This is not the same as regular sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil has a deep, nutty flavor that you'll find in the Asian section of most grocery stores. A little goes a long way. It's the same oil I use in my sautéed sugar snap peas for that same warm, nutty finish.
- Sesame Seeds: Small, white, and oval seeds that add a mild nutty taste and a little texture. Roasted sesame seeds from an Asian market have a bit more flavor than the unroasted kind from the spice aisle, but either works.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
Here are some ways to change it up depending on what you have or what you're serving it with.
- Spicy: Add ¼ teaspoon of crushed chili pepper flakes or 1-2 teaspoons of chili oil to add heat into the dish.
- Fresh Herbs: Add 1 tablespoon of chopped dill, cilantro, mint, or chives or a mix of these soft herbs because they work so well together.
- Sesame Oil Substitute: If you don't have toasted sesame oil, a light drizzle of olive oil works. It won't have the same nutty depth, but the dish still comes together.
Equipment
If a spiralizer is new to you, you may wonder if this piece of equipment earns a place in your kitchen cabinet. IMO, it does. Especially once your realize how many vegetables it works on beyond cucumbers.
If you want to try it before committing, start with a hand-held spiralizer. It's inexpensive and fits in a drawer. Your wrist might get tired after a cucumber or two.
If you have the storage space, a tabletop spiralizer is the better tool featuring a suction base and various blade sizes. It's easier to use, fast, and works on firm vegetables, too.
How To Spiral A Cucumber Without A Spiralizer
Don't have a spiralizer? No problem. The texture will be a little different because they will be more thin, but the recipe is the same.
- Run a vegetable peeler down the length of the cucumber to create long, flat ribbons like pappardelle pasta.
- A mandoline with a julienne blade also works well. Run the side of the cucumber down the blade to cut ribbons.
Stop peeling the ribbons before you get to the seeds. Seeds create water. Turn the cucumber a quarter of a turn and resume slicing. Repeat until you have sliced all 4 sides.
Top Tip
Do not dress cucumber noodles and let them sit. The noodles will continue to release water and soften. They will stay firm and fresh for about an hour.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Trim the ends of a cucumber and cut it in half before spiralizing. Half-sized cucumbers create shorter strands of noodles compared to a whole cucumber.
Step 2: Load the cucumber into the spiralizer. I prefer to use the medium-sized cutting plate. Cucumber noodles cut from the thinnest blade are more delicate, and their texture can soften more quickly.
Step 3: Turn the crank of the spiralizer to create the noodles.
If you don't have a spiralizer, use a mandoline or a vegetable peeler down the length of the cucumber to create strips.
Step 4: Place the cucumber noodles in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the noodles and toss to coat. Let them rest for 10 minutes to remove excess moisture before dressing.
Step 5: Toss the cucumber noodles with sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil just before serving.
Make Ahead Instructions
Spiralize and salt the cucumber noodles up to 6 hours ahead of time. Let them drain in the colander stored in the refrigerator. Wait to add the sesame oil and seeds until right before serving.
If you are taking this to a potluck, line the bottom of the serving bowl with paper towels before adding the salted cucumbers. Keep it cold. Wait to toss with the sesame oil and seeds until serving time.
Storage Information
These are best eaten the day they're spiralized. If you have leftovers, store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Drain the excess liquid before eating.
Freezing is not recommended.
FAQ
I prefer to use the ¼ inch blade (orange) with cuts that are similar to fettuccine. There is a finer blade (green) that makes thinner cuts like spaghetti. Try both to see which one you like.
Yes. You can use a mandoline or a vegetable peeler. See the above section for more details.
Not always. It's a personal preference. Some varieties of cucumbers develop bitter skin as they age on the vine. Taste a small slice first to see if your cucumber tastes bitter. If yes, remove the skin.
Since cucumbers are mostly water, they will continue to release water. Don't skip the salting step and wait to dress the cucumbers until just before serving. You can also pat the cucumbers dry with paper towels before adding the sesame oil.
Did you try any of these tips? Leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Cucumber Noodles
Equipment
- spiralizer
- bowl
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Use the spiralizer to cut the cucumber into noodles. If you don't have a spiralizer, you can use a mandoline or a vegetable peeler down the length of the cucumber to create strips.
- Place the cucumber noodles in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the noodles and toss.
- Let them marinate in the salt for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Toss in a bowl with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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