If you love vibrant salads with bold Asian-inspired flavours, this Cucumber Salad with Passion Fruit and Prawn is sure to become a favourite, and you’ll want to make it on repeat. Sweet, juicy prawns are tossed with crunchy smashed cucumbers, fresh cilantro, tangy passion fruit, and a spicy garlic soy dressing that comes together in minutes. The combination of citrus, herbs, and gentle heat creates the perfect balance of sweet, savoury, sour, and spicy.
For this recipe, I used fresh prawns that I peeled myself. While it does take a few extra minutes, I think the flavour and texture are well worth the effort. If you want to learn the fastest way to peel a prawn, it’s actually much easier than it looks! I’ve demonstrated exactly how to peel and devein the prawns in the video below the recipe card.
If you’re short on time, feel free to use fresh peeled prawns from your local market or frozen peeled prawns. Either option works well.
One of my favourite parts of this recipe is the smashed cucumber. Instead of slicing it neatly, smashing the cucumber creates little cracks and uneven edges that soak up every bit of the dressing. It’s a simple Chinese technique that makes a huge difference in both texture and flavour.
This salad is quick to prepare and perfect for warm weather. It tastes its best after a short chill in the fridge, allowing all the flavours to come together beautifully.
Cucumber Salad with Passion Fruit & Prawn
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPEIngredients
For the Salad
- 25 prawns (1kg in shell)
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 large handful cilantro
- ½ lemon (thinly sliced)
- 2 passion fruits
- 2 slices fresh ginger
- 1 spring onion (white part only)
For the Dressing
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 bird's eye chilies (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill a large pot with water and add the ginger slices and spring onion. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Carefully add the prawns and cook over high heat for 1–2 minutes, or until they turn red and curl up. Immediately remove them from the hot water to prevent overcooking, as overcooked prawns become rubbery. Let them cool completely.
- Cut the cucumbers into large chunks. Using the flat side of the knife, smash each piece until it cracks apart. This technique creates rough, uneven edges that absorb the dressing much better than neatly sliced cucumbers, giving every bite more flavour.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, chopped bird’s eye chilies, chili powder, chili flakes, and minced garlic.
- Heat the cooking oil until hot, then carefully pour it over the garlic and spices. Stir well until the sugar dissolves and everything is well combined.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked prawns, smashed cucumbers, red onion, cilantro, lemon slices, and the pulp from the passion fruits.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- You can enjoy the salad immediately, but for the best flavour, refrigerate it for about 20 minutes. Chilling allows the prawns to absorb the dressing while making the salad extra refreshing.
- Serve cold as an appetizer or alongside steamed rice.
Notes
- Ice bath: After boiling the prawns, transfer them to an ice bath for 1 minute. This stops the cooking immediately and keeps the prawns extra juicy.
- Extra fruit: Taste before serving and add in one more passion fruit if you want it extra fruity.