Description
A refreshing and tangy Korean Cucumber Salad featuring crisp cucumbers tossed in a flavorful marinade of soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, chili oil, sugar, and sesame oil. Perfect as a light side dish or appetizer with a hint of spice and aromatic sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
Cucumbers
- 5 mini cucumbers, or 2-3 regular size cucumbers (about 4 cups), thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt
Marinade
- 1.5 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2-3 tsp chili oil (adjust according to spice preference)
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Garnish (optional)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp diced green onions
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, sugar, sesame seeds, and diced green onions. Add rice vinegar along with the chili oil and sesame oil. Mix well to incorporate all the flavors uniformly.
- Slice the cucumbers: Use a spiralizer for fun spirals or slice thinly with a sharp knife. Place cucumber slices in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit for 8-12 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Rinse and dry cucumbers: Rinse the salted cucumbers under cold water to remove excess salt. Lay them on paper towels and gently pat to absorb any remaining water.
- Toss cucumbers with marinade: Place the cucumbers in a serving bowl and pour the prepared rice vinegar marinade over them. Toss gently to ensure even coating of all slices with the flavorful dressing.
- Serve: Garnish with additional sesame seeds and diced green onions if desired. Serve immediately as a refreshing side dish or appetizer.
Notes
- Adjust chili oil quantity to customize the spice level to your taste.
- You can substitute mini cucumbers with regular cucumbers; just adjust the quantity accordingly.
- Letting cucumbers sit salted helps to keep the salad crunchy by removing excess water.
- This salad is best served chilled or at room temperature shortly after preparation.
- To make a vegan version, ensure soy sauce is vegan-friendly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 2.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
