Spicy Sea Cucumber Jellyfish Salad 酸辣海參海蜇伴青瓜 (suān là hǎi shēn hǎi zhé bàn qīng guā, however, in Mandarin, cucumbers are called huáng guā; qīng guā is Cantonese) is a healthy and refreshing appetizer. Sea cucumbers, also called sea slugs, are not vegetables. They have many health benefits. They are low in fat and high in proteins, namely collagen. This is why it is well-known for both skin and joint benefits.
Consumption of sea cucumbers dates back to the period of the Three Kingdoms which was almost 2000 years ago. You can braise sea cucumbers or steam them in soup, which I don't prefer because they have a gooey texture. I eat them only when my Mom forces me!
By making it into a salad, the texture is more al dente and slightly crunchy. And now I like it! It’s still bland, but I love the spicy sour and garlicky sauce I make for it. I add jellyfish and cucumbers to add a more interesting texture.
Frozen sea cucumbers are also much more convenient than the dried ones. You only need to boil it for 5 minutes and it’s ready to eat! So this is a very simple dish that you can whip up in 20 minutes!
Spicy Sea Cucumber Jellyfish Salad 酸辣海參海蜇伴青瓜 is an excellent appetizer to make ahead of time if you’re having guests over. It can also be turned into a delicious noodle dish by adding flat glass noodles to it. If you don't want it spicy, don’t add the chilis or Sichuan peppercorn. Make it for yourself or your family. This dish is good for skin, weight loss, blood circulation, digestion, and probably a million other things! But best of all, it’s so delicious!
For more healthy options, try my Apple Fig Tea 蘋果無花果茶, Longan Red Date Ginger Tea 桂圓紅棗姜茶, or Asian Pear Peach Resin Sweet Soup 雪梨桃膠糖水.
Spicy Sea Cucumber Jellyfish Salad 酸辣海參海蜇伴青瓜
Ingredients
- 300 g Frozen sea cucumbers pre-cooked
- 150 g Jellyfish pre-cooked
- 1 Long English cucumber
- 8 cloves Garlic chopped
- 4 Thai chilies chopped
- 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or any black vinegar)
I use Chinkiang vinegar aka Zhenjiang vinegar - 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
Instructions
- Follow the cooking instructions on the sea cucumber package. The one I purchased was pre-cooked and only required that I boil the sea cucumbers for 5 minutes. We want a slightly chewy texture, not too soft so do not overcook.
- Remove the sea cucumbers from the water and let cool
- Rinse the jellyfish with water and drain
- Slice the cucumbers to suit your liking. I peeled mine, cut it in half vertically and then sliced
- Slice the cooled sea cucumbers horizontally into small slices
- Mix the jellyfish and sea cucumbers together
- Chop garlic and chilis
- Combine 2 tbsp Zhejiang vinegar, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp Mirin, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder, 1 tbsp sesame oil, chopped garlic and chopped chilis. Mix together
- Place the cucumbers on the bottom of a serving plate
- Add the jellyfish and sea cucumbers on top of the cucumbers
- Pour the sauce mixture over top
- Serve
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