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This vegan chicken cucumber salad is infused with fresh ginger and garlic, and seasoned with an Asian-inspired dressing prepared with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and white vinegar. A bright, fresh, and protein-packed salad!
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- Fresh, zesty, and loaded with flavor. With citrusy ginger, garlic, and toasted sesame oil, this salad doesn’t lack flavor. It’s salty, sweet, and nutty while being super refreshing. You will love the contrast of crispy cucumber with meaty vegan chicken!
- Quick and easy to prepare. This chicken cucumber salad requires just 5 minutes of active time and a total of 25 minutes to prepare, making it a great last-minute appetizer.
- High-protein. Thanks to the addition of vegan chicken, each serving packs a substantial 14g of protein!
🥒 Ingredient Notes
This flavorful chicken cucumber salad comes together in less than 25 minutes. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Vegan chicken – You can use homemade vegan chicken or a store-bought alternative like Tofurky, for example.
- Cucumber – While any cucumber works, I recommend using Persian cucumbers if you can find them, as their skin is thinner.
- Soy sauce – For saltiness and umami.
- Vinegar – To add freshness and tanginess. You can use white vinegar, white rice vinegar, or lime juice.
- Sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil brings a nutty flavor and richness to the dressing.
- Maple syrup – Or your favorite liquid sweetener. It helps balance the saltiness and rounds up the overall flavor.
- Ginger – Use fresh ginger for a citrusy and spicy aroma. Pick small roots that have smooth and firm skin, as these are usually the freshest. Wrinkly skin means that the ginger is not fresh and will have a lot of fibers.
- Garlic – Again, fresh garlic works best here. Do not use garlic powder as a substitute.
- Chili flakes – Optional: Add chili flakes or Gochugaru for a kick of heat.
🥣 How To Make Chicken Cucumber Salad
Salt the cucumber
- Slice the cucumber. Start by slicing the cucumber into 1/4-inch thick slices. Next, cut each piece in half.
- Salt. Transfer the sliced cucumber to a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss to coat the cucumbers with salt.
- Let drain. Let the cucumber sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes or until some water is sitting at the bottom of the bowl. Drain the cucumbers and discard the water. Using clean hands, slightly squeeze the cucumber slices to remove more moisture.
Assemble
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, minced garlic, and ginger in a small bowl. If you want it spicy, add the chili flakes.
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. Add the cucumbers, shredded vegan chicken, and dressing to a mixing bowl.
- Toss to coat. Finally, toss everything with the sauce. At this point, give it a taste and adjust the saltiness and tanginess according to your preferences.
- Serve. You can serve this salad immediately or chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
📔 Tips
- Remove the seeds. If your cucumber has a lot of seeds, scoop them out.
- Serve on the same day. I highly recommend serving this salad on the same day for optimal texture. After a day or two, the cucumber tends to lose some crispiness, and the vegan chicken becomes soggier.
- Add fresh herbs. For extra freshness, feel free to add chopped cilantro, parsley, and/or mint.
- Garnish. Before serving, top with toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of chili flakes for decoration and a pop of color!
💬 FAQ
You can replace the vegan chicken with your favorite plant-based meat alternative, Tofurky or Gardein Chick’n strips, for example.
If using Persian or English cucumbers, there is no need to peel them as they have thin skin. If your cucumber has thick skin, it’s best to peel it, as it would not yield the best texture.
Tossing the cucumber with salt and letting them sit for 15-20 minutes helps draw out excess moisture. This gives the cucumbers a crispier texture and prevents them from making the salad watery.
I recommend making this salad no more than 8 hours prior to serving.
Vegan Chicken Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber about 11 ounces
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded vegan chicken
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/8 tsp chili flakes optional, for spiciness
Instructions
Prepare the cucumber
- Slice the cucumber. Start by slicing the cucumber into ¼-inch thick slices. Next, halve each slice.
- Salt. Transfer the sliced cucumber to a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss to coat the cucumbers with salt.
- Let drain. Let the cucumber sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes or until some water sits at the bottom of the bowl. Drain the cucumbers and discard the water. Using clean hands, slightly squeeze the cucumber slices to remove more moisture.
Assemble
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, minced garlic, ginger, and chili flakes, if using, in a small bowl.
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. Add the cucumbers, shredded vegan chicken, and dressing to a mixing bowl.
- Toss to coat. Finally, toss everything with the sauce. At this point, give it a taste and adjust the saltiness and tanginess according to your preferences.
- Serve. You can serve this salad immediately or chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
Notes
- Remove the seeds. If your cucumber has a lot of seeds, scoop them out.
- Serve on the same day. I highly recommend serving this salad on the same day for optimal texture. After a day or two, the cucumber tends to lose some crispiness, and the vegan chicken becomes soggier.
- Add fresh herbs. For extra freshness, feel free to add chopped cilantro and/or mint.
- Garnish. Before serving, top with toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of chili flakes for decoration and a pop of color!
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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An amazing new taste for my family. Thank you Thomas.
This looks DELISH! Thanks Thomas. Can’t wait to make this.
Thanks Deb!