Smashed Cucumber Dill Salad Recipe Gluten-Free

Enjoy this crisp and flavorful smashed cucumber salad that’s gluten-free! It is a perfect refreshing side dish with its blend of freshness and unique textures.

Try these other gluten-free side dishes as well!

​This cucumber salad has crunchy cucumber pieces, fresh herbs, rice wine vinegar, and salt, and is absolutely delicious!

Its crisp texture is ideal for serving with grilled sandwiches like the Reuben Monte Cristo. It’s also a perfect side dish for these classic burgers and turkey mushroom burgers.

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Smashed Cucumber Salad Gluten-Free

​I was first introduced to smashed cucumbers while watching a cooking show. They featured a side dish with bite-sized pieces of cucumber, spring onions, and chili flakes. They also made a Chinese cucumber salad with coriander and soy sauce and a Korean cucumber salad with sesame oil!

This smashed cucumber recipe is similar to the ones I saw on the show, but it uses dill weed and rice wine vinegar to create a light and flavorful salad. It’s perfect for summer or as a refreshing side dish year-round.

We grow cucumbers in our garden and enjoy many fresh salads in the summer. But, I always peel them and slice them! Who knew there was an easier way to turn regular cukes into small pieces?

Smashing cucumbers is easy, all you have to do is apply force to crack the skin! Then, they can easily be chopped and used in a variety of cucumber salad recipes.

​The smashing also creates uneven surfaces which have crispiness and bitterness due to the peel along with tender juicy parts of flesh that can absorb other flavors. 

The first time I tried making this salad, I bought mini English cucumbers because their thin skins and tender seeds seemed perfect for this recipe. With tons of fresh dill from my garden, all I did was smash cucumbers, add the dill, and a bit of rice vinegar to create a healthy salad!

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Supplies

• Large knife
• Cutting board
• Large bowl for mixing
• Spoon for mixing the salad
• Dinner bowl for serving

How to Smash Cucumbers

Start by washing and drying the cucumbers. Place the whole cucumber on a flat surface like a cutting board and cut off the ends. Use an easy Asian smashing technique by pressing down on the cucumber with the flat side of your knife until it naturally bursts open! It will split lengthwise so all you’ll have to do is then is cut it into bite-sized pieces.

You could also use a meat pounder (smooth side), rolling pin, another flat object, or anything heavy to crush them for this delicious salad. Be careful not to overdo it, just squish them enough to split the skins and expose the flesh of the cucumber.

Ingredients

Let’s start with a few simple ingredients for the gluten-free smashed cucumber salad.

• mini cucumbers, fresh
• rice wine vinegar
• fresh dill fronds, chopped
• fresh green pea shoots, optional
• salt, I like using kosher salt as it doesn’t have any additives but any table salt will work

How to Make Smashed Cucumber Salad

1. Using a large knife, smash the cucumbers.

2. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

3. In a bowl combine the vegetables, fresh herb, and salt. Toss to coat.

4. Add vinegar and mix to combine.

I enjoy preparing a cold cucumber salad by refrigerating it before serving. This provides extra flavor as the dill and rice vinegar from the salad dressing have time to infuse the cucumber. Chilling also helps the excess liquid drain off the cool cucumbers.

This salad is also perfect for serving immediately on a hot summer day! 

Tips & Substitutions

I prefer seedless cucumbers like the English cucumbers as they are not as juicy and have a more intense flavor. With their thinner skins, there is enough bitterness to enhance the flavor of the salad without overpowering it. You can also use Persian cucumbers, Japanese cucumbers, or even Kirby cucumbers.

• Add green pea shoots or replace the dill with green onions or fresh garlic.
• Apple cider vinegar can be substituted for rice wine vinegar as they both have a sweet flavor.
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice or light soy sauce (gluten-free) can be used instead of the vinegar.

Variations

• I find it easier to add the salt to the salad with the dill and then drain the excess liquid. But you can salt the smashed cucumbers first to draw out the excess liquid then squeeze them to remove water before adding the dill and vinegar. Both methods will work.
• Drizzle with homemade chili oil, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, or your favorite neutral oil.
• Dried dill can be substituted for fresh dill fronds but it may take a bit longer for the flavors to integrate.

Smashed Cucumbers Salad Recipe Notes

• This is a great salad to make a couple of hours ahead of time as it will allow the excess water to drain out of the cucumbers and the flavor to infuse the smashed cukes.
• Cut a small bit of the end off the cucumbers before smashing.
• Drained cucumbers will have more crunch and be less watery.
• Store leftover smashed cucumber dill salad in an airtight container in the fridge. 

This smashed cucumber dill salad recipe (gluten-free) is a great way to modify a classic Asian cucumber salad. It’s a great summer dish to serve at a summer barbeque or with hot dishes such as jasmine rice and spicy peanut noodles. 

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