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Smashed cucumber and peanut salad for a packed lunch
youryum.com/recipes/smashed-cucumber-and-peanut-salad-for-a-packed-lunch · serves 4

A lunchbox salad with a dry compartment

Drain the cucumber well and keep the peanuts separate: two small choices that make this salad work in a lunchbox.

  • Vegan
  • Gluten free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 26 July 2026
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Smashed cucumber and peanut salad with lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping
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Prep
20 min
Cook
—
Total
20 min
Serves
4
Per serving
248kcal
Effort
Easy

Most cucumber salads fail in a lunchbox because everything is mixed at nine in the morning and eaten at one. This one uses the box as part of the recipe: cucumber and dressing in the large section, peanuts in the little dry section, herbs tucked between them.

Drain the cucumber for longer than you would at home. Lunch has no last-minute rescue.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Salad

Fresh finish

Equipment

  • Large chopping board
  • Chef's knife
  • Colander
  • Small bowl

Method

  1. Smash and salt

    Crack the cucumbers with the flat of a knife, cut them into chunks and toss with half the salt. Leave for fifteen minutes, then drain in a colander.

  2. Dry the cucumber properly

    Spread the cucumber on a clean tea towel and pat it dry. If you have time, leave it uncovered for another ten minutes while you make the dressing.

    If the cucumber is still wet when it meets the lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping, drain it again. Water is not neutral here: it thins the dressing, carries the salt to the bottom of the bowl, and leaves the peanuts tasting like an afterthought. If the pieces feel soft, stop tossing. A few careful lifts with your hands are enough.

    Hands preparing lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping smashed cucumber and peanut salad during the dry the cucumber properly step

  3. Mix the dressing

    Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, oil and remaining salt. Pour it into a small leakproof pot rather than over the cucumber.

  4. Pack in layers

    Put the cucumber in the large section of a lunchbox, followed by the herbs and spring onion. Keep the peanuts in a separate dry compartment or small pot.

    If the cucumber is still wet when it meets the lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping, drain it again. Water is not neutral here: it thins the dressing, carries the salt to the bottom of the bowl, and leaves the peanuts tasting like an afterthought. If the pieces feel soft, stop tossing. A few careful lifts with your hands are enough.

  5. Dress at lunch

    Pour over the dressing, close the box and shake once. Open it, add the peanuts and toss with a fork. The salad should still be cold and crunchy.

Cucumbers peanuts herbs and ingredients for lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping smashed cucumber salad arranged on a kitchen counter
The ingredients for the lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping version, ready before the cucumber gets smashed.

Why smashed cucumber works

The important lunchbox ingredient is time. Water keeps moving out of cucumber after it has been salted, so the dressing belongs in its own pot and the peanuts need a dry home.

If your box has no separate compartment, wrap the peanuts in a small piece of baking paper or use a screw-top pot inside the main box.

The small failures are useful

If the finished bowl tastes dull, add acid before salt. Cucumber and peanuts can absorb more seasoning than you expect, while too much salt makes the water come out faster. A teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar usually fixes the balance without changing the character of the lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping.

If the cucumber has gone soft, serve it colder and stop stirring it. The texture will not return, but the flavour can still be good over warm rice or beside grilled bread.

For a different meal, replace the peanuts with toasted cashews, sunflower seeds or crisp beans. Keep the same smashed-and-drained method. The dressing is flexible; the texture work is not.

One last check before it leaves the kitchen: taste a piece from the bottom of the bowl, not the top. The dressing settles there, and a salad can seem seasoned on its surface while the cucumber underneath is bland. Lift the pieces once, adjust with a small splash of acid, then stop. The lemon dressing and a dry peanut topping should be visible and distinct rather than folded into a single wet flavour.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 248 kcal
Protein 6 g
Carbohydrate 14 g
Fibre 3 g
Fat 14 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I prepare this the night before?
Yes. Smash and drain the cucumber, wash the herbs and make the dressing. Keep everything chilled and pack the box in the morning.
Will the lemon dressing go bitter?
Not overnight. Keep it chilled and use fresh lemon zest; very old zest can taste harsh.
What else can go in the lunchbox?
Cherry tomatoes, olives, a boiled egg or warm flatbread all work. Keep anything wet away from the peanuts.

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