This spicy Korean cucumber salad is healthy and the perfect side dish for your Asian meal! For both kimchi lovers and haters alike!
Having grown up in Hawaii, I love all Asian foods. However, if I had to pick a favorite, Korean food is hands down the clear winner for me! Whenever we go back to the island to visit family, we always stop by the mall for some Yummy’s Korean BBQ!
Surprisingly, Oklahoma doesn’t have Korean fast food places 😉 so we’re left to make our own. With pretty much any Asian dish we’re eating, kimchi is a must! Some of you are like, “yuck!” I know kimchi is one of those foods you either love or hate.. I mean, not everyone’s going to enjoy eating stinky, fermented cabbage (what’s wrong with you people?!) But, whether you’re a kimchi fan or not, if you like cucumbers and spicy food, then this salad is a must-try!
This salad isn’t fermented, so you can rest assured that this will not taste like traditional kimchi (for all you haters out there!) But at the same time, if you’re a fan of kimchi, it is very reminiscent and therefore makes an awesome “quick kimchi” for those times you want some NOW (trust me, it happens!)
For me, this filled two 16-ounce mason jars. You can easily half the recipe, but if you’re making this for a get together or have spice lovers in your family, I might even suggest doubling it! It may seem like a lot as you’re slicing up the cucumbers, but they really do shrink down after they’re salted. In any case, I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we did! Eat it with Asian food, ramen, sandwiches, pizza…anything you’d like to add a little spicy kick to—The sky’s the limit!
Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
Very simple cucumber salad with Asian inspired flavors. With only a few, wholesome ingredients, this salad is free of gluten, grains, dairy, and eggs. Vegan and paleo friendly too!
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers* or (or 6–8 Kirby cucumbers), thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2–4 tablespoons Korean Chile Flakes/Gochugaru
(this is spicy, so start with less and add more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons honey or sugar, or more to taste
- 1–3 teaspoons Sesame Oil
, to taste (optional)
- 1/2–1 teaspoon finely minced ginger, to taste
- sprinkle of sesame seeds, optional
(this is spicy, so start with less and add more to taste)
, to taste (optional)Instructions
- Slice your cucumbers about 1/8″ thick. You can leave them whole or slice the cucumber in half first for bite-sized pieces.
- Place cucumber slices in a large bowl and mix in the salt. Let stand for 10-15 minutes (better if in the fridge) then drain all the excess water from the bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix together green onions, garlic, rice vinegar, red pepper, honey, sesame oil, and ginger. For the ingredients which are listed as a range, I suggest starting with the lesser amount and adding more to taste. (don’t add more salt just yet, because the cucumbers will be salty)
- When you’re happy with the flavor of the mixture, add it to the salted cucumbers.
- Salad can be eaten right away, but is best after a few hours when the flavors have developed. Add additional salt as needed. Store leftovers in an airtight container/jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
*English and pickling cucumbers and aren’t as seedy and watery as regular cucumbers, so I recommend these instead. If for some reason you need to use regular cucumbers, I recommend peeling it and slicing it in half lengthwise. Scrape out all the seeds and discard. Slice just the firm, crunchy part of the cucumber for the salad.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Category: Salad, Side, Vegan
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Hi there! Sesame oil is listed twice in the ingredients list and there is no mention of rice vinegar but in the recipe instructions you mention rice vinegar. Just wondering what the correct measurement is of each ingredient! Thank you! I can’t wait to try this out!!!
Hi Taylor! Thank you for bringing that to my attention! I’m not quite sure how that happened, but I corrected it the post. It should be 1/4 cup rice vinegar NOT sesame oil, haha! The sesame oil is the 1–3 TBSP 🙂 I hope you’re able to give this a try…it’s very delicious and goes well with a variety of dishes! Enjoy!
wow this looks so yummy! im going to try it for sure
This looks amazing. My daughter and I love anything cucumber.
Oh my gosh are you kidding me? This looks so good and light, perfect for a side! Great post 🙂 xo
I love cucumber salad, and this one looks like a nice change of pace from the traditional salad I usually make. I’m definitely going to give this a try.
This salad looks all kinds of delicious. I love spicy salads!
Greta | http://www.gretahollar.com
I love cucumber salad, especially on hot summer nights! This looks so good!
Guess I am going to have to go find me some korean chili flakes this looks really delicious.
Sometimes I feel like you’re creating recipes just for my tastebuds, Joscelyn! Ha! I love kimchi so I know I would love this too. I think it would be delicious on a sandwich or in wraps too!
wow i could eat this all day long! such amazing photos and i am off to explore more of your recipes!
Aw thank you for the kind words! Have a lovely evening Ananda!
This looks so delicious. I love how simply and tasty it is!
Thank you Samantha!
One of my absolute favortite ban-chan (appetizer starter dishes in Korea, I’m sure you know!) dishes. I love the fermented version as well, but this is definitely great for people who aren’t on the kimchi train. Delicious!
Gonna give this one a try! Sounds so good!!
Thank you Krista! Please let me know how you like it! xoxo
I love the simplicity of this salad and I am totally going to make it. I love the Korean gochugaru flavor and I have been using the paste to make my Asian stir fry too! So delicious!