There’s a reason this spicy cucumber carrot salad went viral this year- it is so easy and SO good.

a white plate with slice cucumbers and carrots on it

About this recipe:

Everywhere on TikTok and Instagram this year I saw folks slicing up English cucumbers with a mandolin and mixing up a jar of this super simple and yummy salad. I gave it a try and yes- holy cow- it is SO good. Forget the mandolin and just use a very sharp knife. I added in carrots just for extra texture, spicy chili crunch- because well, food trends. I also added in Everything but the Bagel seasonings because I know you have a jar and I want you to use it all up before the sesame seeds go bad.

And bonus- it’s great way to get the kids to eat their veggies

Keep a jar of this spicy salad in the fridge for a quick snack, a perfect side salad with fish or a fantastic easy side dish that will have your family saying,

“Yes- sometimes you DO need to eat an entire cucumber.”

a wooden board with vinegar, olive oil, hot peppers, cucumbers and a carrot on it

Ingredients in Spicy Cucumber Salad:

English cucumber- you want that thin skinned cucumber that is wrapped in plastic at the store.
Carrots- for crunch and texture. I think the salad holds up really well with the addition of carrots.
Chili Crunch- this is the latest hot thing in Asian condiments. I put it on everything. My favorite brand is Fly by Jing. Look for a jar in the Asian section of your grocery store.
Everything but the Bagel seasonings- you know I love this stuff.
Sesame oil
Avocado oil- you can use olive oil, but I really love the subtle flavor of avocado oil
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar- NOT Red wine vinegar. Substitute with white vinegar if you do not have rice wine vinegar
Honey

a pile of sliced cucumbers in a glass jar

Equipment needed for this recipe:

sharp knife or mandolin
large mason jar with a lid or any glass container with a lid that will not leak

a glass jar with a stack of thinly sliced carrots on top of sliced cucumbers

Other cucumber or carrot recipes to try:

a glass jar filled with a salt of spicy chili mix, carrots and cucumbers

What is Chili Crunch?

Chili Crunch or Crisp is the hot condiment everyone is using on congee rice bowls to salad toppings, noodles and stir fry. Made famous by Chef David Chang, who perfected his recipe for over a decade and served it as a condiment at his Momofuku restaurants.

It is a mix of chili oil, hot pepper seeds, seasonings and sometimes nuts.

I love the version by Fly by Jing- the Sichuan Chili Crisp. It has bits of peanuts, shallots, garlic and loads of heat.

I add in even more crunch by spooning in toasted pepitas, more nuts and whatever fun Asian ingredients I have the pantry like sriracha or black soy sauce.