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    Home » Recipes » Asian + Hawaiian Recipes

    Korean Cucumber Kimchi

    Published: Aug 21, 2022 · Modified: Sep 14, 2022 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Fresh Korean cucumber kimchi is a summer staple and the first thing we make as soon as cucumbers are in season. Cucumber kimchi is spicy, salty and crunchy and a perfect side to go with grilled meats or simple white rice.

    Prepared cucumber kimchi is packed into glass mason jars. The cucumber kimchi is flavored with Korean red pepper, ginger, garlic, green onion and sesame oil.

    Cucumber Kimchi

    Cucumber kimchi is a refreshing and crunchy Korean cucumber side dish that is flavored with bold seasonings of sesame oil, fresh green onion and red Korean pepper called gochugaru.

    Growing up in Hawaii, I ate my weight in cucumber kimchi! In Hawaii, you’ll often find cucumber kimchi being served with plate lunches or close to the poke in markets.

    Why You’ll Love Cucumber Kimchi

    • Cucumber kimchi is quick to make and can be eaten in as soon as 30 minutes!
    • During the summer when cucumbers are in season is the best time to make cucumber kimchi.
    • Cucumber kimchi stays crunchy and crisp, making it a delicious and refreshing bite with grilled meats.
    • There is so much flavor, including savory, spicy, fresh and slightly sweet.
    Ingredients for Korean cucumnber kimchi are layered into a large bowl before adding the cucumbers. Some of the ingredients in the bowl are Korean red pepper, sesame seeds, grated garlic, grated ginger and chopped green onions.

    Ingredients

    • Persian Cucumbers: Thin peel Persian cucumbers are or pickling cucumbers are great for cucumber kimchi since they don’t’ need to be peeled and have less seeds.
    • Kosher Salt: A good amount of salt is sprinkled onto the cucumbers to help draw some of the moisture out.
    • Gochugaru: Is a Korean red pepper that is a necessity when making kimchi. You can find gochugaru in Asian markets and online as well.
    • Rice Flour: A friend who taught me to make cucumber kimchi insisted I add a slurry of rice flour mixed with very hot water. The rice flour slurry helps thicken the mixture slightly.
    • Garlic: A few cloves of fresh garlic, grated or finely chopped.
    • Ginger: A good amount of fresh ginger, about an inch that is peeled and finely chopped or grated.
    • Green Onions: A few green onions, chopped and added to the kimchi mixture. If you don’t have green onions, chives will work or very thinly sliced white onion.
    • Sesame Seeds
    • Sesame Oil
    • Fish Sauce: A few dashes of fish sauce gives the kimchi a great savory, umami flavor. If you want to make this vegan, leave the fish sauce out.
    • Rice Vinegar: Just a little bit of rice vinegar offers a touch of acidity and sweetness to the kimchi.

    How to Make Cucumber Kimchi

    1. Cut the cucumbers into 1/2 inch chunks and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of Kosher salt onto the cucumbers and let it sit for 30 minutes.
    2. Pour out excess water from the bowl and use paper towels to gently pat the cucumbers dry.
    3. Make a slurry by adding rice flour to very hot water and stir to combine well.
    4. In the same bowl as the cucumbers, add a few tablespoons of gochugaru, fresh garlic and ginger, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, few dashes of fish sauce and rice vinegar.
    5. Add a few tablespoons of the rice flour slurry and stir everything to combine well.
    6. Fill cucumber kimchi into clean glass jars, leaving some space at the top. Place a lid on the jar and leave the cucumber kimchi to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
    7. After at least 30 minutes, place kimchi in the refrigerator and enjoy.
    Cucumber kimchi is mixed together in a  large glass bowl. The cucumbers are chopped into 1/2 in pieces and mixed with Korean red pepper, fresh green onion, grated garlic, grated ginger and sesame seeds.

    Recipe Making Tips

    • Be generous with the flavorings, the cucumbers can handle it!
    • After the cucumbers are salted, you don’t need to rinse the cucumbers afterwards. Some recipes say to rinse it, but I find the salt leftover flavors the kimchi nicely.
    • There is no substitute for Korean red pepper, so I suggest seaking some out. You can find gochugaru online easily.
    • Mix the cucumber kimchi with your hands and use gloves so the pepper doesn’t stain your hands.
    • To make vegan cucumber kimchi, simply omit the fish sauce, it will still be delicious!

    What To Serve with Cucumber Kimchi

    You can serve cucumber kimchi with anything you would eat cabbage kimchi with.

    Cucumber kimchi is great served with simple white rice. I like to pour some of the kimchi juice onto the rice even more flavor!

    Serve cucumber kimchi on a Hawaiian style plate lunch or with slow cooked hoisin pork sliders.

    Serve grilled kalbi ribs with rice and cucumber kimchi.

    Save some of the kimchi juice and add it to Korean scallion pancakes called pajeon.

    Poke Nachos

    are in season. Cucumber kimchi is spicy, salty and crunchy and a perfect side to go with grilled meats or simple white rice. Pack cucumber kimchi into glass jars.

    are in season. Cucumber kimchi is spicy, salty and crunchy and a perfect side to go with grilled meats or simple white rice. Pack cucumber kimchi into glass jars.

    Korean Cucumber Kimchi

    Samantha Ferraro
    Fresh Korean cucumber kimchi is a summer staple and the first thing we make as soon as cucumbers are in season. Cucumber kimchi is spicy, salty and crunchy and a perfect side to go with grilled meats or simple white rice.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Resting Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Asian, Korean
    Servings 3 cups
    Calories 164 kcal

    Equipment

    Microplane

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 5 Persian cucumbers cut into 1/2 inch chunks
    • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
    • 1/2 cup Hot water
    • 2 tablespoons Rice flour
    • 3 tablespoons Korean chile pepper
    • 3 Garlic cloves chopped finely or grated
    • 1 inch Fresh ginger peeled and grated
    • 4 green onions chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
    • 1/4 cup Toasted sesame seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
    • 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • Place chopped cucumbers into a large bowl and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Give the cucumbers a toss so the salt is evenly coated and let it sit for 30 minutes.
    • Pour out excess water from the bowl and use paper towels to gently pat the cucumbers dry.
    • Meanwhile, make a rice flour slurry by adding rice flour to very hot water and stir to combine well.
    • In the same bowl as the cucumbers, add the rest of the kimchi ingredients, the gochugaru, fresh garlic and ginger, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, few dashes of fish sauce and rice vinegar.
    • Add 2 tablespoons of the rice flour slurry and stir everything together to combine well.
    • Once mixed well, fill cucumber kimchi into clean glass jars, leaving some space at the top. Place a lid on the jar and leave the cucumber kimchi to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
    • After at least 30 minutes, place kimchi in the refrigerator and enjoy.

    Notes

    Use Persian cucumbers or another thin peel cucumber, which have less seeds. 
    Mix the cucumber kimchi well with your hands, but use gloves so you don’t’ stain your hands with the pepper. 
    Cucumber kimchi can be eaten the same day adn can last in the fridge for up to a week.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 2622mgPotassium: 428mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2631IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword cucumber kimchi recipe, Korean cucumber kimchi
    Tried this recipe?Let us know on Instagram!

    This post was originally published in July, 2014 and updated August, 2022 with added nutritional information, retested recipe and added info.

    More Asian + Hawaiian Recipes

    • Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
    • Hawaiian Style Shoyu Chicken
    • Thai Coconut Curry Mussels
    • Hawaiian Style Chicken Katsu with Furikake

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maria DeBlassie says

      July 1, 2014 at 10:24 am

      This looks amazing! Just got finished canning pickles and now want to try this kimchi recipe with my next batch of cucumbers.

      Reply
    2. Angie C @ Infinite Health & Wellness says

      August 3, 2014 at 10:39 pm

      Do you need to let this ferment for a period of time before consuming?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        August 5, 2014 at 4:27 pm

        Hi Angie! It’s a quick recipe…we enjoyed it the same day!

        Reply
    3. kristin says

      July 5, 2015 at 9:00 am

      Do you rinse the salt off the cucumbers after you let them sit in the colander?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        July 5, 2015 at 10:30 am

        Hi Kristin! No you don’t need to rinse, just drain any excess water.

        Reply
    4. Marie Davila says

      August 6, 2015 at 1:20 pm

      This looks great, for canning, can I just do a lot after bath like I would for pickles?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        August 7, 2015 at 8:40 am

        Hi Marie! I think this is an easy recipe to double if that’s what you mean.

        Reply
    5. Shelley says

      March 4, 2017 at 8:41 pm

      This looks good for a kimchi beginner. I have never had it. Is it very spicy?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        March 5, 2017 at 8:40 am

        This is my favorite kimchi because its so fresh and crunchy! I personally like spice so I don’t think it’s too spicy but it does have some heart. The red pepper gives it the spice, so when you plan to make it, use a bit less! Have fun 🙂

        Reply
    6. Kristen says

      February 24, 2022 at 10:03 am

      How long can you store these (if making in large batches?)

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        February 28, 2022 at 10:05 am

        Hi Kristen! I have kept this kimchi in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, though I prefer it on the crunchier side and enjoy it sooner.

        Reply

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