Description
Cool Korean cucumber salad delivers crisp, zesty flavors that dance across your palate with refreshing heat. Crunchy cucumbers marinated in spicy gochugaru and tangy vinegar create an irresistible side dish you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables:
- 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) honey
Aromatics:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the tangy dressing ingredients – rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper – in a spacious mixing bowl until fully integrated.
- Slice cucumbers into thin, uniform rounds or half-moons, ensuring consistent texture and even dressing absorption.
- Gently fold cucumber slices into the prepared marinade, carefully coating each piece to maximize flavor penetration.
- Cover the cucumber mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify while chilling the salad.
- Before serving, give the salad a quick stir to redistribute the dressing and ensure each cucumber slice is perfectly seasoned.
- Serve cold as a vibrant, zesty side dish that provides a refreshing kick with a hint of spicy complexity.
Notes
- Slice cucumbers thinly and evenly to ensure consistent flavor absorption and crisp texture throughout the salad.
- Adjust red pepper flakes based on personal spice tolerance, starting with less and gradually increasing for desired heat level.
- For a low-carb version, replace honey with a sugar-free sweetener like stevia or monk fruit to maintain the balanced flavor profile.
- Allow the salad to marinate longer than 30 minutes for deeper flavor infusion, but avoid exceeding 2 hours to prevent cucumber becoming too soft.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: No-cook
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 57 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg