Korean Cucumber Salad Recipe (spicy, easy, vegan) - Carlo Cao (2024)

FAQs

What to put on Korean cucumber salad? ›

Ingredients In Korean Cucumber Salad

Sesame oil– toasty deep flavor. Sesame seeds – for finishing the salad, and adding texture. Sugar– honey or maple syrup will work too. Gochugaru- dried Korean red pepper flakes, spicy but not super hot, start with less and add more to taste.

Korean cucumbers are generally thinner and longer than other cucumber varieties and are typically used fresh to make pickles, side dishes, and salads.

No matter how you dress them, salting and draining sliced cucumbers maximizes crunchy texture. The challenge: More often than not, by the time you eat a cucumber salad the cucumbers have gone soft and watery, losing their appealing crunch and diluting the dressing to near tastelessness.

Directions. Wrap each cucumber in plastic wrap to minimize splattering. Place on a work surface and pound with a flat object (like a meat pounder) until cucumbers crack and are slightly flattened.

Salt the slices first. No matter the salad recipe you're making, salt the cut-up cucumber beforehand. The extra step allows them to release some of their water — keeping them extra crisp even when they get tossed with the dressing.

This easy cucumber salad consists of nothing more than the cucumbers, some rice vinegar, either dill or basil, and salt and pepper. You don't even really need the herbs!

For this recipe, we recommend using a seedless variety, such as English cucumbers. English cucumbers are the long, slim ones you usually see wrapped in plastic at the grocery store; not only do they have small, nearly imperceptible seeds, but their skins are thin, smooth, and sweet, eliminating the need to peel them.

Long English Cucumber

Long English Cucumbers have a good crunch with thin, delicate skin that's easy to digest. The best part: you don't even need to peel them—just slice 'em up and eat them as the perfect quick snack. This type of Cucumber is great in salads as well as a ton of other things, too!

Striped Armenian is one of the sweetest cucumbers. It has small seeds and thin skin. Though it looks like a cucumber, it is actually a melon—a species of Cucumis.

A cucumber's bitterness is caused by cucurbitacin, a bitter chemical that protects the plant from predators. Usually, cucurbitacin stays in the stem and leaves, but it can work its way into the fruit. A cucumber's bitterness is caused by cucurbitacin, a bitter chemical that protects the plant from predators.

Can dogs eat cucumbers? ›

Can Dogs Have Cucumbers? Cucumbers are perfectly safe for dogs to eat, and offer a low-calorie, crunchy snack that many dogs love. Cucumbers only contain about 8 calories per one-half cup of slices, compared to the 40 calories in a single medium dog biscuit. Cucumbers are also very low in sodium and fat-free.

Enhance the taste of cucumbers by incorporating herbs and spices. Sprinkle freshly chopped mint, basil, cilantro, or dill over sliced cucumbers to add a burst of freshness. Additionally, spices like black pepper, cumin, or paprika can provide a subtle kick to the cucumbers, making them more interesting and flavorful.

So, What Are Persian Cucumbers? Persian cucumbers are small (five to six inch long), thin-skinned cucumbers with very few small seeds.

Herbs: Cucumbers pair well with fresh herbs such as mint, dill, basil, and cilantro. Dairy: Cucumbers pair well with dairy products such as yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese. Vinegar: Cucumbers pair well with vinegars such as rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and white wine vinegar.

Cucumber flavor partners

Season cucumbers with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, dill, basil, mint, or tarragon. Top cucumbers with vinegar or vinaigrette dressing, plain or flavored butter or margarine, plain or flavored mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain yogurt.

It's an essential ingredient for making kimchi, adds a fresh taste to stew, and is also great in bibimbap (a Korean mixed rice dish). When I make this Korean stir-fried radish, I always use it for bibimbap. Because of that, I want this banchan (side dish) to be simple in taste and preparation.

Try sour cream with different additions - garlic,cilantro, fresh peppers, tomatoes, feta. Mayo can be used instead, or both-mixed,or olive oil,spiced with garlic and feta.