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Pickled Cucumber MSG Salad

A crunchy, tangy cucumber salad seasoned with a savory MSG-vinegar dressing, garlic, and chili. Salting the cucumbers first pulls out excess water, keeping every bite crisp instead of watery.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Calories: 60
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 medium English cucumbers
  • 1 tablespoon salt (for sweating)
  • 1/2 teaspoon MSG (Ajinomoto)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 fresh red chili, thinly sliced (or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Colander
  • mixing bowl
  • Small whisk or spoon

Method
 

  1. Wash and trim the cucumbers.
  2. Slice the cucumbers into even 1/4 inch rounds.
  3. Salt the cucumbers and let them sweat for 15 minutes.
  4. Rinse and squeeze out the extra liquid.
  5. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, MSG, and sesame oil into a dressing.
  6. Stir in the minced garlic and sliced chili; let rest 5 minutes.
  7. Toss the cucumbers in the dressing until fully coated.
  8. Chill for 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
  • Regular cucumbers can be substituted, but seed them first and squeeze a little longer.
  • Adjust chili amount to taste — the seeds carry most of the heat.
  • MSG can be replaced with a small pinch of salt if preferred.