Korean Cucumber Salad Recipe (spicy, easy, vegan) - Carlo Cao (2024)

FAQs

What to put on Korean cucumber salad? ›

Ingredients In Korean Cucumber Salad

Rice Vinegar– best for flavor but in a pinch substituting with apple cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar is fine. Green onions- or scallions add lovely flavor and color. Sesame oil– toasty deep flavor. Sesame seeds – for finishing the salad, and adding texture.

Korean cucumbers are light in color, slender, and bumpy with thin skin. They are less seedy, very crispy and tasty. I might be a little biased, but I think they are the best of all cucumber varieties.

Happily, salting cucumbers requires only 20 minutes or so and virtually no effort: You just put them in a colander or strainer, toss them with a big pinch of salt or two — the exact quantity doesn't matter, since most of the salt will flow away with the liquid — and let osmosis do its thing.

Just place the slices or chunks in a colander over a bowl or sink. Sprinkle them with a couple of pinches of salt, toss to coat, and let them rest for about 30 minutes. Pat them dry with a paper towel and proceed with the recipe.

The marinated cucumbers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Persian Cucumbers

They have a mild flavor and thin skins, so they're great sliced or chopped for salads and snacking, or even tossed in the blender to make a Spicy Cucumber Margarita.

Long English Cucumber

Long English Cucumbers have a good crunch with thin, delicate skin that's easy to digest. The best part: you don't even need to peel them—just slice 'em up and eat them as the perfect quick snack. This type of Cucumber is great in salads as well as a ton of other things, too!

Korean cucumbers are best suited for raw preparations as they provide a pleasant crunch when fresh. They do not need to be peeled unless the spines are very hard and the seeds can be consumed or discarded depending on preference.

One of the most common reasons why a cucumber is bitter is due to heat stress. If a plant is stressed due to heat, it may start producing bitter cucumbers.

Why is my cucumber salad so runny? ›

When it comes to making the best cucumber salads, I find that unless you take the time to properly salt and drain the cukes, the end product is watery, limp, and less than tasty. This easy extra step makes extra crunchy slices, takes almost no effort at all, but gives a big payout in the crunch department.

Can Dogs Have Cucumbers? Cucumbers are perfectly safe for dogs to eat, and offer a low-calorie, crunchy snack that many dogs love. Cucumbers only contain about 8 calories per one-half cup of slices, compared to the 40 calories in a single medium dog biscuit. Cucumbers are also very low in sodium and fat-free.

The bright and refreshing taste of cucumber pairs well with an array of flavors. From pineapple and lemon to tomato and chili oil, these cucumber sides are suited for any palate. Plus, these simple sides only have three steps or less, so these recipes are easy to make.

Cucumber flavor partners

Season cucumbers with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, dill, basil, mint, or tarragon. Top cucumbers with vinegar or vinaigrette dressing, plain or flavored butter or margarine, plain or flavored mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain yogurt.

Spices: Cucumbers pair well with spices such as black pepper, cumin, and coriander. Fruits: Cucumbers pair well with fruits such as tomatoes, watermelon, and berries. Meats: Cucumbers pair well with meats such as chicken, salmon, and tuna. Seafood: Cucumbers pair well with seafood such as shrimp, crab, and oysters.

It's an essential ingredient for making kimchi, adds a fresh taste to stew, and is also great in bibimbap (a Korean mixed rice dish). When I make this Korean stir-fried radish, I always use it for bibimbap. Because of that, I want this banchan (side dish) to be simple in taste and preparation.