Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad

Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad with raw vegetables in sesame sauce served over grains with avocado. Perfect for light lunch or dinner!

Lately I’ve been feeling good in my skin, strong in my body, and confident in my presence. 

Maybe it’s the warm weather that cocoons our condo by noon, maybe it’s the dumbbells I’m lifting before breakfast, or maybe it’s the shorts and t-shirt uniform. 

I really think summer is my season, and every time it rolls around, I wonder if I might be 10% happier if I lived in a place that was habitually 70 degrees and sunny.

Maybe.

But I also want summer to be like the candle I only light on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings; special and significant when it comes and glows. 

Because it’s been warmer here, I’ve been enjoying a lot more fresh vegetables in our meals. 

This Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad is bound to make you feel good in your body, your skin, and your soul. 

It’s made with raw vegetables and black soybeans in an easy sesame sauce served over grains with avocado.

I think it’s perfect for a light lunch or dinner for warmer weather!

What You Need to Make Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad

This Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad is fresh, light, and refreshing for warmer weather. 

Here’s what you need: 

• English cucumber
• Himalayan sea salt
• red cabbage
• shredded carrots
• Eden Foods Black Soybeans
• cilantro

That’s it!

How to Smash Cucumber 

If you’ve got some pent up aggression, smashing cucumber might be better than going to a rage room. 

But be safe when smashing your cucs! 

I recommend using a rolling pin instead of a knife to prevent any accidents. 

Place your cucumber on a flat cutting board and with a rolling pin smash the cucumber several times to split it open.

Once the cucumber splits, dice it in 1″ pieces. 

Place the diced cucumber in a strainer sitting on top of a bowl along with a pinch of Himalayan sea salt.

Allow the cucumbers to rest with the salt to draw out some of the moisture as you prep the remaining ingredients. 

You can skip this step if you’re in a hurry, but it does make the cucumber a bit crunchier! 

If you’re not into smashing cucumbers, you can also make this recipe with regular diced cucumber. 

How to Make Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad

This salad is easy to make in just one bowl.

Add the cabbage, carrots, black soybeans, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl. 

Drain the salted diced cucumber and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. 

Add the diced cucumber to the mixing bowl when you’re ready to serve the salad. 

What You Need to Make the Sauce

Here’s what you need to make the sauce:

• coconut aminos or Tamari Lite
• Eden Foods Toasted Sesame Oil
• chili garlic sauce
• lime juice
• maple syrup
• garlic powder 
• sesame seeds

That’s it!

How to Make the Sauce 

This sauce is super easy to mix up by hand without any equipment. 

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk everything together with a fork or whisker. 

Make sure to taste and adjust the flavor of the sauce to your liking.

Add the sauce to the bowl with the vegetables. 

Toss everything together until the vegetables are well coated with the sauce.

Eden Foods Black Soybeans 

Have you ever tried black soybeans before? 

Eden Foods Black Soybeans are soaked overnight and pressure cooked without any additives or preservatives. 

Black soybeans offer a nutrition label that exceeds the nourishment of yellow soybeans. 

These sweet and creamy beans are super versatile in recipes like salads, hummus, and soup. 

I love that they have no added salt so you can season them to perfection in your kitchen.  

They’re absolutely delicious in this Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad as a source of plant-based protein. 

Notes on Meal Prep

While this salad is best served fresh, you can also meal prep it to enjoy for a few days! 

If you’re meal prepping this salad, I recommend storing the vegetables, sauce, and grains separately.

Combine them in a bowl or on a plate just before serving to ensure that the vegetables retain their crunch. 

The cucumbers will lose more moisture in the days to come, but it will still taste good for 2-3 days. 

I love making extra sauce to add more on top of the bowls in case you need it. 

How to Serve Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad

Here’s what I love for serving: 

• cooked rice or Eden Foods Organic White Quinoa
• avocado, sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (green parts only)

That’s it!

Serve the salad in a bowl over your favorite grain topped with sesame seeds, green onion, and avocado. 

I love Eden Foods white quinoa as the base to this recipe, but millet or rice or another grain would also work well! 

Store leftovers separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, though best when fresh. 

Enjoy! 

More Vegan Salads

• My Go To Kale Salad

• Roasted Beet Salad With Citrus Tahini

• Curried Cauliflower Kale Salad

• Warm Kale Salad With Citrus Tahini

• Cran-Apple Tempeh Kale Salad

• Raw Krazy Kale Salad

• Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad

• Baked By Melissa’s Green Goddess Salad

• Wintergreen Salad With Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

• Thai Salad With SunButter Dressing

• Roasted Squash & Arugula Salad

• Kidney Bean Arugula Salad

• Chop’t Chickpea Salad

• Red Bean & Pomegranate Salad

• Roasted Fig Arugula Salad

• Golden Bean & Green Bean Salad

• Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad

• Fall Harvest Salad

• Kale Caesar With Avocado Tahini 

• Swiss Chard Abundance Salad

• Lemon Spinach Chickpea Salad

• Spring Quinoa Salad Jars

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Smashed Cucumber & Black Soybean Salad recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.

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XO Lauren

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