New! Dumpling, cucumber and avocado salad view recipe

Dumpling, cucumber and avocado salad

Dumplings are right at home in this tangy salad. Crisp cucumbers are salted first to draw out their watery liquid, and then tossed with creamy avocado and potstickers. The dressing is so simple, made with vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. For character, I’ve used black vinegar which is rich and savoury, with a slightly malted fruitiness. You could also use rice vinegar.

Jump to Recipe

A white bowl filled with pan-fried dumplings, sliced cucumber, avocado, and green onions on a marble surface. - Hetty Lui McKinnon

Pan-fried dumplings, with their golden bottom and puffed body, carry bold dressings well. If you prefer, steam your dumplings, but be a bit more gentle when tossing them.

Dumpling, cucumber and avocado salad

Serves

Ingredients

4 Lebanese / Persian cucumbers (400g / 14-ounces), trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
neutral oil
1 pound vegetarian or vegan potsticker dumplings
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Toasted white sesame seeds, for topping

Soy sauce and vinegar dressing

60 ml black or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 teaspoons cane or white sugar

Instructions

Place the cucumbers into a bowl and scatter over the salt. Massage the salt into the cucumber and leave for 5 minutes.
Heat a large frying pan (skillet) on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and add the potsticker dumplings, flat side down, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes (depending upon the size of your pan, you may need to cook in batches). Immediately add about ¼ cup of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Continue cooking the remaining dumplings.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, make the sauce: add the vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil and sugar and whisk well, until the sugar dissolved.
Squeeze the cucumber to expel as much water as possible. Add the cucumber to the dressing, along with the avocado, scallions and dumplings. Toss gently to combine.
Serve immediately, topped with sesame seeds.