• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors

Sees Food, Will Travel logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • About Me
      • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Korean

    November 19, 2021

    Easy and Simple Spicy Cucumber Salad

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    I admit it, I have cravings when it comes to Korean food. The years of living in South Korea granted me a taste preference that causes me to want to eat anything with gochugaru every few days. Since I live in Tbilisi, I have found myself shipping boxes upon boxes of Asian ingredients to get my fix. This Korean spicy cucumber salad has been a fixture in my weekly diet because it soothes my longing for Asian food. I love this recipe because it is a very flexible side dish and just really, really tasty!

    The Convenient Thing About Cucumbers

    Partially peeling the cucumbers like this will help with bitterness.

    You will find cucumbers readily available in supermarkets around the world. Although different varieties of cucumbers exist, you will most likely find the pickling cucumbers that are needed for this recipe. Even with limited availability, you can easily find a dense cucumber that can act as a substitute. Sometimes the cucumber you end up using turns out to be a little bitter. You can fix the bitter taste by simply peeling the cucumbers before adding in the seasoning.

    The cucumbers readily absorb the spice and other flavors so a balanced taste is key. Another consideration is the size of the cucumber. If I want to adjust the spice level of this side dish I will opt for different sizes. For a less spicy flavor, I will use bigger cucumbers. If I want it to be spicier, I will choose small Kirby cucumbers.

    Tips on Fulfilling a Tasty Spicy Cucumber Salad

    Tip #1 Get Salty

    The recipe calls for salting the cucumbers for ten minutes. After ten minutes do not wash the salt off of the cucumbers! Simply throw them in a clean bowl with the rest of the vegetables.

    Tip #2 Load Up On Veggies

    Experiment with your added vegetables. My recipe calls for garlic, carrots, and green onions, but you can readily add white onions, mustard greens, garlic chives, etc. As long as the cucumbers are still the main star of the dish, get creative with your additions!

    Tip #3 Give It Time

    Refrigerate overnight for a better flavor profile. The nice thing about Korean food is that the longer it sits in your fridge, the better the flavors get. This spicy cucumber salad is no exception. So be a little patient with yourself and save some for tomorrow.

    spicy cucumbers in a clear bowl with silver chopsticks
    The glisten is the moisture coming out from the salt

    Tip #4 Make a lot at once. Since this side dish goes with many great mains (I have used it as a side for a steak!) You can make a big batch at once and just store it in the fridge. It's an easy go-to when you are missing a vegetable side dish for dinner.

    I hope this dish also becomes a regular in your weekly diet as it is for mine!

    Have You Tried This Recipe?

    Simply rate the recipe by clicking on the ⭐️s on the recipe card. Have something to say? Please leave me a comment down below telling me what you think of this recipe.

    Bonus: Let me and other readers know what you did to make this recipe your own - 💫 let's inspire each other!

    Also, follow me on Instagram [@seesfoodwilltravel] and send me a DM with a picture of what you made. I would love to share and celebrate YOUR creation with our budding community 💞

    Check out Sees Food, Will Travel on Pinterest and Facebook for more delicious updates.

    Sliced cucumbers mixed with Korean red pepper flakes in a clear bowl with carrots

    Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)

    An easy vegetable side dish to make and keep in your fridge for a week. These spicy cucumbers will soon become a regular accompaniment to your meals.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Asian, Korean
    Servings 2 people

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ carrot
    • 2 medium cucumbers (preferably pickling)
    • 3 stalks green onions
    • 2 large garlic cloves
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes (Gochugaru)
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • sesame seeds for garnishing

    Instructions
     

    • Cut the ends of the cucumbers, peel every other side, then slice
    • Put the sliced cucumbers in a colander and add salt, let rest for 10 minutes
    • Meanwhile, slice carrots into matchsticks, chop green onions, and mince garlic
    • In a clean bowl add cucumbers, carrots, green onions, and garlic
    • Add sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, and Korean red pepper flakes and mix with hands
    • Halfway through mixing, add sesame oil and mix well
    • Refrigerate for a day before eating to maximize the flavors, but you can eat this right away
    • Garnish with sesame seeds before serving
    Keyword banchan, banchan recipe, cucumber, cucumber salad, korean, korean food, korean recipes, korean side dish, korean spicy cucumber, korean style salad, side dish, spicy cucumber salad, spicy cucumber salad recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Korean

    • Overhead view of gyeran ppang or Korean egg bread on parchment paper
      Korean Egg Bread (Gyeran Ppang)
    • Easy Bossam from Suyuk (Boiled Pork)
    • Rolled egg omelet or gyeran mari on a plate
      Cheesy Gyeran Mari (Rolled Omelet)
    • Overhead shot of hotteok
      Hotteok in Two Ways - Cheese and Ssiat (Seed)

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Joanne!

    Living abroad has taught me how food plays an important role in making connections worldwide. I love pies, Asian food, anything made from potatoes, and wine when it comes to food.

    You can learn more about me here.

    I created this site to track my gastronomy adventures, record inspired recipes, and help others build meaningful (and delicious!) travel itineraries.

    Cheers!

    Trending Recipes

    • Closeup of ube lava cake on a blue plate
      Ube Lava Cake
    • Rolled egg omelet or gyeran mari on a plate
      Cheesy Gyeran Mari (Rolled Omelet)
    • Ube cinnamon rolls on a wood table
      Ube Cinnamon Rolls
    • Sliced maja blanca on parchment paper
      A Creamy Maja Blanca Recipe

    Delicious Food Guides

    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner in Belém (then Lisbon)
    • Overhead view of various plates in Degenried
      Wirtschaft Degenried: A Hidden Gem Restaurant in Zurich
    • Hawksmoor steak header
      Hawksmoor & Flatiron: Steaks in London

    Don't know where to start? See everything I've ever written here.

    Footer

    Currently

    I love anything that has to do with travel, eating, and cooking.

    Nowadays I am getting to know my Filipino heritage by developing some recipes of my own. Check out some Filipino recipes - you will love it 💕

    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy

    Filipino Recipes

    Baked ube sugar cookies
    Fried Filipino fritters on a gray plate
    Closeup of Bistek tagalog or Filipino beefsteak
    • Recipe Index
    • Travel & Food Guide Index

    stay connected

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2023 Sees Food, Will Travel

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT