Quick Cucumber Kimchi
This cucumber kimchi recipe gets its flavor from garlic, fish sauce and a hint of Korean chile powder. Make this side dish ahead of time to let the flavors absorb into the cucumbers.
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Recipe Summary
Nutrition Profile:
How To Make Quick Cucumber Kimchi
This cucumber kimchi is quick and easy to make. It's marinated for at least 12 to 24 hours before serving, but you can refrigerate it for up to 1 week. Here's how to make it:
Salt the Cucumbers
We start by mixing sliced cucumbers with salt in a bowl and allowing it to sit for 30 minutes. This step seasons the cucumbers while also drawing out excess moisture.
Combine the Ingredients
Meanwhile, we combine the garlic, scallions, ginger, vinegar, chile powder, sugar and fish sauce in a nonreactive bowl. A nonreactive bowl is necessary when using acidic ingredients, such as vinegar, to prevent the food from reacting with it. You can use stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass.
Finish the Dish
The last step is to drain the cucumbers and stir them into the vinegar mixture. Draining the excess moisture from the cucumbers allows them to absorb the flavors of the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours before serving. We like to refrigerate the cucumber kimchi in a glass mason jar with a lid, but you can use any airtight nonreactive container.
Additional reporting by Jan Valdez
Ingredients
Directions
Tip
A nonreactive bowl or pan--stainless-steel, enamel-coated or glass--is necessary when cooking with acidic foods, such as vinegar, to prevent the food from reacting with it.
Note
Korean chile powder (gochugaru or Korean "crushed red pepper") is made from thin red peppers that are sun-dried and crushed into a powder. Find it in Korean or Asian markets or online. Store airtight, in the refrigerator or freezer indefinitely. Fish sauce is a condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian-food section of large supermarkets and in Asian markets.
To make ahead
Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts
1 vegetable
