Description
A bright, spicy Korean cucumber salad that pairs perfectly with rich mains, ready in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 small English or 2 large Persian cucumbers (about 500 g / 1.1 lb total)
- 1½ tsp kosher salt (8 g)
- 30 ml rice vinegar (2 tbsp)
- 15 ml light soy sauce (1 tbsp)
- 10 ml sesame oil (2 tsp)
- 1–2 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) (2–4 g)
- 1 tsp sugar or honey (5 g)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1–2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (2 g)
Instructions
- Slice the cucumbers. Trim the ends and slice cucumbers into 3–4 mm rounds. Place slices in a large bowl.
- Salt and drain. Sprinkle kosher salt over the cucumbers and toss to coat. Let sit 8–10 minutes until the cucumbers release water. Drain and press gently to remove extra liquid.
- Make the dressing. Whisk rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, and gochugaru in a small bowl until sugar dissolves.
- Toss and rest. Add the drained cucumbers back to the bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss until evenly coated. Add scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Let rest for 8–10 minutes.
- Serve chilled or at cool room temperature, garnished with extra gochugaru and sesame seeds.
Notes
For extra crispness, rinse cucumbers after salting and before dressing. Best eaten within the first 24 hours for peak crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup (approx. 100 g)
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 2.5g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 2.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4.5g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 1.0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg