Chinese Egg, Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipe
A simple salad with egg, tomato and cucumber is a Chinese answer to a quick, homemade dish from whatever you have in the fridge. It uses familiar ingredients, but the dressing with soy sauce, vinegar and sesame gives it a completely different character than a classic egg salad. Perfect for a light dinner, breakfast or as a side to rice.
This salad combines everyday ingredients with a Chinese-style dressing, giving a completely new flavor profile to a classic egg and vegetable combination. It’s quick, light and uses pantry staples like soy sauce and vinegar.
Chef's tips
Do not overmix the salad so the eggs and tomatoes keep their shape. If your soy sauce is very salty, add it gradually and taste as you go. For extra aroma, lightly toast the sesame oil by warming it gently before adding to the dressing, but do not let it smoke.
How to serve
Serve slightly chilled, as a light dinner, breakfast or brunch dish. It pairs well with steamed rice, congee or simple toasted bread. You can also serve it as part of a larger table of Chinese-inspired side dishes.
Ingredients
- eggs - 3 pieces
- tomato medium, ripe - 2 pieces
- fresh cucumber long - 0.5 pieces
- chives or spring onion chopped - 2 tablespoons
- soy sauce - 1.5 tablespoons
- rice vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- sesame oil - 0.5 teaspoons
- sugar - 0.5 teaspoons
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed - 1 teaspoon
- garlic (optional) finely chopped, for a sharper taste - 0.5 clove
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Place the eggs in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 8–9 minutes until hard-boiled. Then rinse with cold water and cool completely, then peel.
- Wash the tomatoes and cut into larger cubes or wedges. If the skin is very tough, you can blanch and peel them first, but it is not necessary.
- Wash the cucumber, peel part of the skin if needed and slice into half-moons or quarter slices.
- Cut the cooled eggs into quarters or larger cubes.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and vegetable oil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. If using garlic, add it now.
- Put the tomatoes, cucumber and eggs into a larger bowl. Gently toss so they don’t fall apart.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and very gently mix so the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the salad with chopped chives and season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste and, if needed, add a little more soy sauce or vinegar.
- Set aside for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors meld, then serve.
Storage
Sałatkę najlepiej zjeść tego samego dnia, bo pomidory puszczają sok, a jajka tracą świeżość. Przechowuj w lodówce, szczelnie przykrytą, maksymalnie 24 godziny.
