Cucumber Kimchi is a great garnish for hot dogs or sausages. Really great. My mouth waters just looking at this photo.
You may not enjoy classic kimchi – fermented cabbage has a distinctive funkiness that you either love or you hate. There’s very little in between. Cucumber Kimchi, however, is not fermented. The silky cucumber is bathed in the most amazingly flavorful paste – hot and sweet at the same time, and VERY garlicky. That’s a good thing in my book.
But gochugaru, a Korean chili powder, is what brings the distinctive kimchi flavor. It can’t be substituted. You can buy it at most Asian markets, but if you can’t source it locally, there are lots of options on Amazon.
The cucumbers came from my garden, of course. I make the same mistake every year – planting the whole packet of cucumber seeds, and then we’re overrun with cucumbers. We’ve found a number of creative ways to use them that don’t involve pickling – smashed cucumber salad, cucumber and tomato salad with thinly sliced red onions, Quinoa Tabbouleh, stir-fried cucumbers with ground pork, Sweet Pickle Relish… But Cucumber Kimchi is my favorite cucumber surprise.
Cucumber Kimchi
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh cucumbers
- 2 scallions
- 1 shallot
- 1 T kosher salt
- 3 t granulated sugar (divided – 1 t for sweating the cucumbers, and 2 t for the dressing)
- 1 small knob fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 T gochugaru
- 1 T fish sauce
- 1 T tamari
- 2 t rice vinegar
Instructions
- Prep the veg – Peel and deseed the cucumbers, then slice them into half-rounds. Slice the scallions, white and green parts. Peel and slice the shallot.
- Sweat the cucumbers – massage 1 t salt and 1 t sugar into the cucumbers and set them aside for about 10 minutes or so, to allow them to release much of their liquid.
- Make the sauce – Grate the ginger and the garlic using a rasp. In a medium bowl, combine the grated ginger and garlic with 2 t sugar, 2 T gochugaru, 1 T fish sauce, 1 T tamari, and 2 t rice vinegar. Whisk vigorously to dissolve the sugar.
- Combine – Rince the cucumbers under cold water and pat dry. Add the cucumbers, scallions, and onion to the sauce. Mix well to ensure that the cucumbers and onions are evenly coated.
