The cold plate my father makes in summer is this one – cucumber ribbons tossed with garlic, soy, vinegar, and a spoon of chili oil, the ten-minute plate the recipe promises you will learn in one go. A home cook wrote it in six steps with that promise in the title, and the method is the whole thing: slice, salt, dress, and toss. I made it as written, and it is the cold plate I now make without looking at a recipe.
Liang ban huang gua pian (凉拌黄瓜片) is cold cucumber slices – cucumber cut into thin slices or ribbons, tossed with a dressing of garlic, soy, vinegar, sugar, and chili oil, and served cold. The original is a 6-step recipe titled “learn it in one go,” and the method is genuinely one-sitting simple.
What Are Cold Cucumber Slices?
Cold cucumber slices (凉拌黄瓜片) are the classic Chinese cold plate: cucumber sliced thin (or into ribbons with a peeler – the recipe’s style), dressed with minced garlic, light soy, vinegar, a little sugar, and chili oil, and tossed. The salt draws the cucumber’s water first, keeping the dressing strong, and the plate is served cold – crisp, garlicky, and bright.
The method is the dressing’s balance. Garlic for the punch, soy for salt, vinegar for tang, sugar to round it, chili oil for warmth – the recipe’s proportions are the lesson, and the salting step keeps the cucumber crisp. It is the plate that teaches the cold-dish template in one sitting.
For the other crisp cold plate in the same family, my hand-torn cabbage is the cooked-savory cousin of this raw cold dish.
1Hand-Torn Cabbage (Shou Si Bao Cai)A classic Sichuan stir-fry featuring crisp hand-torn cabbage, savory pork belly, and aromatic dried chilies. A smoky, quick, and authentic side dish.Check out this recipe
Why This Version Works
- The salt first. Salt draws the cucumber’s water out so the dressing stays strong and the slices stay crisp.
- The dressing’s balance. Garlic, soy, vinegar, sugar, and chili oil – the cold-dish template.
- Thin slices or ribbons. The peeler’s ribbons take the dressing beautifully – the recipe’s style.
- Ten minutes, one sitting. The title’s promise – learn it once, make it forever.
- Served cold. The plate’s whole point – crisp, bright, and ready.
Equipment Needed
- A knife or vegetable peeler
- A bowl
- A spoon for the dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1-2 tsp chili oil (or to taste)
- Salt, for the first salting
Ingredient Notes
Cucumbers: Two, sliced thin or peeled into ribbons – the crisp base. My hand-torn cabbage is the cooked cold-adjacent plate.
The dressing: Garlic, soy, vinegar, sugar, and chili oil – the balance that makes it a template. My lazy homemade pao cai is the pickled sibling.
Prep & Mise en Place
Slice the cucumbers; salt them and let the water release, then drain. Mince the garlic and mix the dressing.
The sequence: salt, drain, toss with the dressing, and serve cold.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – Wash the cucumber, peel (perfunctorily)
Wash the cucumber, peel (perfunctorily). The skin can be a bit astringent; skip if you don’t mind it.
Step 2 – Shave into slices (careful with fingers!)
Shave into slices (careful with fingers!). No slicer? Slice by hand or make smashed cucumber instead (earlier recipe).
Step 3 – Sliced
Sliced.
Step 4 – Sprinkle a little salt, toss, rest 30 minutes
Sprinkle a little salt, toss, rest 30 minutes. If unsure of salt amount, use a small spoon and taste later; if you oversalt…
Step 5 – Grate the ginger into juice (optional but recommended – new
Grate the ginger into juice (optional but recommended – new flavor); add a little sugar and white vinegar, mix.
Step 6 – Squeeze the cucumber slices dry, toss with the dressing, tas
Squeeze the cucumber slices dry, toss with the dressing, taste, and adjust – more salt if bland, more vinegar if not sour enough. Done! Enjoy.
Common Mistakes When Making This Plate
1. A watery, weak dressing. Cause: no salting. Fix: salt first and drain – the recipe’s step two.
2. Soft, limp cucumber. Cause: over-salting or waiting too long. Fix: salt briefly and serve soon.
3. A one-note dressing. Cause: missing the sugar or vinegar. Fix: the balance is the recipe.
4. A raw-garlic burn. Cause: too much garlic or no rest. Fix: the recipe’s cloves, and let the dressing sit a minute.
5. Too spicy or too mild. Cause: the chili oil amount. Fix: adjust to your heat – the recipe’s default is a gentle warmth.
6. A dull plate. Cause: no chili oil at all. Fix: the spoon of chili oil is the plate’s color and warmth.
Variations
More chili: Extra chili oil or a sliced chili – my lazy homemade pao cai is the fermented chili plate, and 10-minute chives and eggs and tomato egg drop soup the light-meal family.
Sesame: A spoon of toasted sesame seeds for nuttiness – and with lazy homemade pao cai and hand-torn cabbage the cold drawer is complete.
Smash style: Smash the cucumber instead of slicing for the ragged, dressing-hungry edges – my hand-torn cabbage shows the torn-edge idea, and fish-fragrant pork is the hot side of the table.
The cold-plate shelf: With lazy pao cai, hand-torn cabbage, and fish-fragrant pork, the cold drawer is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to salt first? Yes – it is the crunch and the strong dressing; the recipe’s step two.
Can I use a peeler? Yes – ribbons are the recipe’s style, and with shrimp cucumber and egg stir-fry and sauce stir-fried eggs the cucumber-egg table is set.
How long does it keep? A few hours refrigerated; it is best soon after dressing – and with tomato egg drop soup and lazy pao cai the cold-meal table is full.
Is it spicy? As spicy as your chili oil – the default is gentle.
Can I skip the sugar? It rounds the acid – a small amount is worth keeping, and with fish-fragrant pork and hand-torn cabbage the table is full.
How to Serve
Serve cold as a side – with hand-torn cabbage and lazy pao cai for a cold-plate table, or beside fish-fragrant pork for a full meal.
Storage & Reheat
Serve immediately; refrigerate up to a few hours. Do not reheat – it is a cold plate. Never leave it out more than 2 hours.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains soy (soy sauce) and sesame (if using the sesame variation). It is free of gluten (if using gluten-free soy), nuts, dairy, egg, fish, and shellfish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Lin, a professional Chinese chef and food writer with a decade in restaurant kitchens before turning to recipes. This xiachufang cook’s cucumber plate is my father’s summer side, and the recipe’s salting logic and dressing balance are exactly why one go is enough. I tested it as written. I have not tested the sesame or smash variations, so those are your experiments, not my claims.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for cold-plate storage guidance.
Cold Cucumber Slices (Liang Ban Huang Gua Pian): One-Go Lesson
Equipment
- Knife or peeler
- Bowl
- Spoon
Ingredients
For the Plate
- 2 cucumbers
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1-2 tsp chili oil to taste
- 1 tsp salt for the first salting
Instructions
- Wash the cucumber, peel (perfunctorily). The skin can be a bit astringent; skip if you don’t mind it.
- Shave into slices (careful with fingers!). No slicer? Slice by hand or make smashed cucumber instead (earlier recipe).
- Sliced.
- Sprinkle a little salt, toss, rest 30 minutes. If unsure of salt amount, use a small spoon and taste later; if you oversalt…
- Grate the ginger into juice (optional but recommended – new flavor); add a little sugar and white vinegar, mix.
- Squeeze the cucumber slices dry, toss with the dressing, taste, and adjust – more salt if bland, more vinegar if not sour enough. Done! Enjoy.
Leave a Reply