Cucumber kimchi should be fizzy and pungent. And, bucking tradition, my recipe also happens to be quick! I made sure there was no need for a long, drawn out fermentation process. These bright red, lip numbers are ready in just 15 minutes from start to finish.
When I make cucumber kimchi at home, there are rules I follow: it should smack with deep, pungent, fiery flavor. And rules I break: although I could, I don’t ferment this for days (or even hours) before serving. That’s because the garlicky, spicy gochugaru loaded sauce does it’s flavorful work on the crunchy cucumbers on the spot. With things like cabbage kimchi or Korean daikon kimchi, the vegetables need time to absorb flavor and transform texture. Not so with these deep red, crisp, lip numbing kirby cucumber banchan.
When it comes to banchan (Korean side dishes), many are pickled – but many are served as soon as they are dressed. Oi muchim, musaengchae, and sookju namul are all examples of banchan that eat like fermented pickles – but are quick 15 minute dress and go dishes in actuality.
Table of contents
The Best Cucumbers To Use
I try to use either Persian cucumbers or Kirby cucumbers. They have a crisp texture, tiny seeds and aren’t as watery as other types of cucumbers. They also hold up in the fridge after they’re sliced and sauced. I’d say they’re the tough hombres of the cucumber world.
English cucumbers are a great second choice. Very crisp with a thin outer skin. The only downside is that, once I’ve dressed them, leftovers don’t seem to last as long in the fridge before getting soggy (2-3 days vs a week with Kirbys).
Ingredients Needed
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Cucumber: Kirby or Persian cucumber are my favorite options. English cucumber also works very well.
- Carrot: I julienne raw carrot for texture and sweetness.
- Onion: Sliced thinly into half moons. These add a bit more sharp pungency.
- Chives: Milder than onions and a little sweet. I slice these on the bias into strips that are 2-3 inches long.
Kimchi Sauce Ingredients
8 ingredients: garlic, fish sauce, sugar, gochugaru, kosher salt, rice vinegar, sesame seeds and sesame oil.
Why it works: The smoky Korean chili flakes provide smoldering heat and that trademark red kimchi color. The fish sauce imparts funky, fermented saltiness that is countered by the bright sourness of rice vinegar and sweetness from sugar. Sesame oil brings it all together with deep, mellow, roasted nuttiness.
Recipe Variations
Add different veggies. As long as the vegetables are thinly sliced, it’ll work. Radish, green onions and bell peppers are my go to variations.
Use the kimchi sauce on thick cut vegetables. Cubed daikon, napa cabbage and cauliflower are all great. Just keep in mind that those vegetables will need at least a few hours marinating to soften up and for the flavors of the sauce to penetrate.
How To Make Cucumber Kimchi
- Slice the vegetables. Place all of them together in a dark bowl and set aside.
- Mix the sauce. Pour over the vegetables.
- Coat the veggies evenly. Mix using a spoon or your hands (preferably with food service gloves).
- Serve immediately – or leave for a few hours for more flavor.
Expert Tips
While it’s ready to serve immediately, cucumber kimchi can be left longer. Just an hour or two in the fridge can help the sauce penetrate the cucumbers and vegetables. That’s why leftovers are so delicious. While the flavor is essentially the same, the sauce becomes more incorporated into the cucumbers themselves.
Don’t use pole cucumbers (aka: garden cucumbers). Those are the gargantuan, waxy cucumbers at the grocery store. The skin is too thick and the seeds are way too watery. I made that mistake once and had to toss the entire batch out. If that’s the only option at the grocery store, be sure to peel the tough skin and scoop out the seeds before using.
Use glass or dark tupperware to mix – and for storing leftovers. The fire red kimchi sauce does a number on clear and light plastic containers.
Storage
Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator. Up to 1 week with Persian or Kirby cucumbers. Up to 3 days with English cucumbers. The flavors will continue to deepen in the refrigerator. Leftovers are perfect cold, right out of the fridge.
Do not freeze.
What I Serve With Cucumber Kimchi
When I’m making this the centerpiece of a light meal, I go with milder flavors such as steamed white rice or nutty brown rice. Maybe a bowl of kombu soup. But when I’m serving this as a side to part of a larger Korean meal, here are some of my favorites:
- Skillet Dolsot Bibimbap
- Spicy Korean Style Natto Bowl
- Vegan Bulgogi
- Pan Fried Tofu With Gochujang Sauce
- Japchae – Korean Glass Noodles
And check out these other flavor forward Korean recipes: tteokbokki, doenjang jjigae, kimchi fried rice, pajeon (scallion pancakes), kimchi tofu mandu, vegetarian kimbap, jjamppong, buchujeon (chive pancake), rose tteokbokki, gaji namul
Frequently Asked Questions
If it’s watery, you may have used a ‘garden’ cucumber. Those aren’t great for this recipe because of the watery seeds.
The only spicy ingredient is the Korean chili flakes (gochugaru). And those are more smoky and smoldering than overtly volcanic. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with half the gochugaru – and work up from there. Likewise, spice junkies can step up the heat by just adding more. If even a little spicy is too spicy, try making this bright Japanese cucumber salad instead.
This recipe isn’t vegan as written. But you can make it vegan by swapping out the fish sauce in favor of soy sauce – or a pinch more salt. There is also vegan fish sauce.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Cucumber Kimchi Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side, Pickles
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
No need for a long fermentation process before these cucumber kimchi pickles are ready to eat! This traditional Korean banchan only takes 15 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 4–5 small kirby or persian cucumbers, sliced in half, or 1 English cucumber, sliced into 4 sticks lengthwise, and each stick into 4 pieces.
- 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
- 1 small onion, cut into thin slices
- 1 cup chives, chopped into strips
For the kimchi sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice the vegetables. Put all the vegetables in a large tupperware container (black color is better to prevent staining)
- Mix the sauce. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well.
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables and using your hands (covered with gloves) or a spoon, spread/mix evenly to coat the vegetables.
- Serve immediately – or leave for a few hours for softer texture and more infused flavors.
Notes
Keep the leftovers in an airtight storage container and refrigerate it. It will keep for up to 2-3 days with English cucumber and up to a week with kirby cucumber. You can make this kimchi right before serving it – or a few hours beforehand if you prefer the veggies to be softer and more pickled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 98
- Sugar: 7.4g
- Sodium: 1303mg
- Fat: 3.8g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16.7g
- Fiber: 4.4g
- Protein: 2.8g
- Cholesterol: 0g
I used gochujang instead of gochugaru and increased the sugar to 1 1/2 tablespoons, as we like our kim chi a little sweeter. It’s easy and delicious!
I will make this today, thanks for sharing your recipe.
This looks spicy and tasty but I really like it. Thanks for the Kimchi recipe.
Just made this recipe and loved it. I will definitely be adding this recipe to my favorites.
Jennifer
I’m going to make this tonight!
http://beautifullyme.in/
Wooow, kimchi from cucumber, look delicious
This is my second time making this dish. My husband and I just loved it! I added this time some ginger and cilantro. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m very happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know and thank you for the cilantro and ginger tip, I’ll be trying that next time! Do you julienne the ginger?
Hot pepper powder–is this the same as cayenne?
Hi Kimberly! It isn’t cayenne pepper, here is a link to what you need http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W71CJU/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B004W71CJU&link_code=as3&tag=nyfobl-20 it’s called Gochujangyong gochugaru, you can find it in most Asian grocery stores.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for the cucumber Kimchi recipe! I’m making Anita Lo’s Bulcogi recipe tonight, from my own web site Pannacooking (https://pannacooking.com/recipes/bulgogi-korean-bbq) – I swear, I came here looking for a Kimchi recipe, but then I thought “Maybe these nice people would like to hear about my attempts to learn to cook Korean food and at the same time get them to check out Pannacooking.com?” – but then I thought, probably not. Check out the site anyway. And if anyone goes to the site, and contact Support and asks for a FREE subscription, using the secret words “Jordan Sez” – then I will personally comp you a free subscription to unlock the entire site.
I have all the ingredients and plan on mixing some up tonight! I l-o-v-e kimchi. The spicier, the Better!
Thanks, for ur recipe…I was eating noodle n my urge to eat it grow n just checked the recipe. … I’m glad ur recipe is simple. …As I’m vegetarian I don’t want to add the fish sauce so could u please tell me what I can add ….. lastly how long can it be stored? ???? Regards..sangay..
Hi Sangay,
You could try using a mix of white miso paste and light soy (it’s saltier than regular soy sauce). The recipe calls for 4Tbsp fish sauce, start with 1 tbsp light soy and 1tbsp miso paste, give it a taste and adjust from there. I’d love to hear the result, keep in touch!
It can keep for about a week, probably more but I wouldn’t now since it’s usually all gone by then ;P
I love the addition of chives and the way you cut them for this salad, I will definitely try this! I am sorry to be a smarta**, but this has nothing to do with kimchi and its health benefits – those come from the fermentation. But this is a great looking korean salad, nonetheless!
Hi Lisa!
Glad you like the recipe, it’s so delicious and easy to make 🙂 I agree with you on the fermentation process (no apologies necessary about the smarta** comment :)) but hot pepper powder alone is also extremely potent and contains the same benefits. All the better for our skin hehe!
Looks delicious! thanks for sharing on foodgawker! x
Thanks Trisha! Your pastries make so hungry!
Just love kimchi. Your dish is so inviting, and I am glad I decided to stop by your page after seeing this on foodgawker.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you Asha! I also love your blog, your pictures are stunning!!