Okay, I have an addiction. That’s the first step to recovery, right?
I stumbled upon Kimchi Cucumbers on Insta and almost immediately gathered the ingredients to try it out. The first batch I substituted chipotle powder for the gochugaru powder because I didn’t have any on hand (I’m the worst Asian…) and my only tip is to not. do. that. If you do a simple search, Google will tell you can substitute the two. But the chipotle powder gave it a very smoky flavor (more so a Mexican tasting version). It just wasn’t that kimchi flavor I was looking for, so learn from my mistakes!
But between my dad and I, we’ve made this salad and consumed more cucumbers than I can even count. We’ve made tweaks in between each batch and with a simple addition of red pepper flakes, we finally got a little heat to perfect this recipe.
It’s really as easy as a few slices and stirs before you have a bowl of the best Kimchi Cucumbers. Don’t forget to let me know if you test out this recipe and try not to count how many cucumbers you go through. It’s best left unknown 😜
Kimchi Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 8 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 4 green onion stalks, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp. gochugaru powder
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 c. sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp. grated ginger (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cucumbers, salt, garlic, green onion, onion, gochugaru powder, sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and sprinkle over sesame seeds.
- Mix until thoroughly combined. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving or up to overnight to let flavors meld.
Notes
- This is definitely a “season to taste” recipe. I added the ginger and red pepper flakes to the original recipe because I felt like there was true kimchi flavor missing. But I say make the recipe and then add ingredients to your liking!
- Personal opinion, without the red pepper flakes there is no spice to the original recipe. I add about 1/2 to 1 tbsp. of flakes depending on how large the batch is and how spicy I want it. The longer the salad sits, the spicier it becomes.
- For the best snack bite, Persian cucumbers are best to use. But if you can’t find them, regular cucumbers are just fine. You may want to quarter them into bite sized pieces though!
- Odds are you don’t have the gochugaru powder on hand but it comes in a large bag, so once you have it you have it! Easily order it online or find at any Asian store.
- I love eating these cucumbers on top of a hot bowl of rice. They’re also great served with a nice piece of meat!
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