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Smashed cucumber and peanut salad with lemon and herbs
youryum.com/recipes/smashed-cucumber-and-peanut-salad-with-lemon-and-herbs · serves 4

The cucumber salad that wants to be hit

Smashed cucumber catches the lemon dressing in its cracks, while peanuts and herbs keep every bite crunchy and bright.

  • 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 21 July 2026
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Smashed cucumber and peanut salad with lemon and herbs
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Prep
15 min
Cook
—
Total
15 min
Serves
4
Per serving
168kcal
Effort
Easy

There is no prize for slicing cucumber neatly here. A few firm blows with the flat of a knife create cracks and corners for the dressing to sit in, which is the difference between a salad that tastes of cucumber and one that tastes of watered-down lemon.

Use small, cold cucumbers if you can. They have fewer wet seeds, and after ten minutes with salt they still keep a little snap.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Salad

Herbs

Equipment

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

Method

  1. Smash the cucumbers

    Put a cucumber on a board and press down on it with the flat of a chef's knife until it cracks into irregular pieces. Repeat with the rest, then cut the pieces into mouthfuls. You are looking for rough edges, not cucumber pulp.

  2. Salt and drain

    Toss the cucumber with the salt and leave it for ten minutes. Tip it into a colander, shake off the water and pat it dry. Do not rinse it; that would put the water back in and take the seasoning with it.

    If the cucumber is still wet when it meets the lemon and herbs, 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 and herbs smashed cucumber and peanut salad during the salt and drain step

  3. Make the dressing

    Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in the empty bowl. Taste it before adding more salt because the cucumber has already had some.

  4. Add the crunch

    Return the cucumber to the bowl with the peanuts, mint and parsley. Lift everything through the dressing with your hands so it gets into the cracks rather than pooling underneath.

  5. Serve straight away

    Leave it for five minutes, then taste once more. It should be sharply lemony, properly salted and still cold. Add a little more oil only if the herbs look dry.

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

Why smashed cucumber works

The knife is doing two jobs: breaking the cell walls so the cucumber absorbs flavour, and making a surface rough enough for chopped herbs and peanuts to cling to. A clean slice gives you a clean surface, which is exactly what this salad does not need.

Salting is brief on purpose. Ten minutes pulls out enough water to keep the dressing lively without turning the cucumber floppy.

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 and herbs.

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 and herbs 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 168 kcal
Protein 6 g
Carbohydrate 14 g
Fibre 3 g
Fat 14 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I make this ahead?
Smash and salt the cucumber up to two hours ahead, then keep it chilled. Add the dressing, herbs and peanuts just before serving.
Can I use lime instead of lemon?
Yes. Use two tablespoons of lime juice and add a pinch of sugar if it tastes sharper than you like.
What is the safest way to smash cucumber?
Keep the knife flat and your free hand away from the blade. A rolling pin or the base of a small saucepan works too.

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