I love this Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Salad for a variety of reasons, first an foremost, as a girl from Wisconsin, I love recipes that are consistent year ‘round. It truly can be the bleak midwinter in much of the country around the Holidays, and having vibrantly colored and flavored food can make things bright. While you may not be able to find mouse melons, tender Persian cucumbers should be available. Aside from being made up of year ‘round vegetables, an exciting and hearty salad can be just what the palette (and the diet) need this time of year. There’s so much butter and milk and cream and carbs in the form of Christmas cookies and the like, and I love those things too, but sometimes one really needs a break. Finally, if you have lots of Jewish friends, like I do, you know that a common Christmas day tradition amongst Jews is Asian food and a trip to the movie theater. So this Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Salad is a break from the traditional in terms of Christmas-y recipes of baked goose and ham and is an homage to all of my wonderful Jewish friends. I encourage all of us, regardless of religious background, to stay in for dinner (rather than going out) and make this lovely Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Salad with our friends and loved ones before we head out to get a jumpstart on Oscar movie watching this December. After you’ve had this lovely Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Salad for dinner, you won’t have to feel as guilty about the movie theater popcorn you’re going to order.
- 2 pounds Persian or Japanese cucumbers (about 8 of these small ones)
- mouse melons if you can find them (mostly for ganish)*
- 1 pound cooked ,deveined, peeled, medium shrimp, cut into small pieces
- 4 cups thinly sliced Napa or savoy cabbage
- 1 large red bell pepper; in matchsticks**
- 3 green onions; in matchsticks
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves; chopped
- ½ cup torn fresh Thai basil leaves or regular basil leaves
- Dressing
- Slice the cabbage into thin strips. Place in a large bowl. Cut off ends from the cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise. Cut halves crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices on the bias. Top with cucumbers, shrimp, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and basil in large bowl.
About 20 minutes before you want to eat, toss with dressing.
- *These are the tiny round cucumbers you see in the picture.
- ** I used red, yellow and orange for color
- The original recipe calls for toasted black sesame seeds and roasted salted peanuts. I like it better without, but by all means…
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar*
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
- 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated, peeled fresh ginger
- Whisk all dressing ingredients to blend in small bowl; let dressing stand while preparing salad. Here's the sugar I'm taking about:
- * I love the grating kind you get in Latin grocery stores
