Korean Cucumber Salad (Printer-friendly)
Crisp cucumbers in a spicy-sweet Korean dressing with gochugaru, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Ready in 10 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 large English cucumbers (or 4-5 Persian cucumbers), thinly sliced
02 - 2 green onions, finely sliced
→ Seasonings & Sauce
03 - 1 ½ tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes)
04 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
05 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
06 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon minced garlic
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Garnish
10 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
# Directions:
01 - Place the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss well and let sit for 5 minutes to draw out excess water.
02 - Drain the cucumbers and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine gochugaru, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and minced garlic. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
04 - Add the drained cucumbers and green onions to the bowl. Toss everything together until cucumbers are evenly coated with the dressing.
05 - Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately for maximum crunch.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- You probably have everything in your pantry already except maybe gochugaru
- It comes together in literally ten minutes but tastes like you spent way longer
- The crunch stays perfect even after the dressing soaks in
02 -
- Squeezing out the water from the salted cucumbers is the step that makes the difference between a crisp salad and a sad, watery mess
- The salad actually gets better after sitting for 15 minutes, but do not push it past a few hours or the texture starts suffering
03 -
- Use a mandoline or the slicing attachment on a box grater for perfectly thin, uniform cucumber slices
- If you can only find regular cucumbers, peel half the skin in strips to reduce toughness while keeping some texture