Easy Cucumber Kimchi Recipes to Spice Up Your Meals

Include a spicy and tangy kick in your everyday meals! One of the favorite banchans of almost every Korean household, cucumber kimchi is all you need to take your food to the next level. Super easy to make and prepare, this side dish is not only packed with flavors, but it also keeps a check on your immune system. 

Made with just a few ingredients, with the popularity of Korean cuisine worldwide, this side dish has also caught everyone’s attention out there. Crunchy, refreshing, and light—you won’t believe it, but you can prepare cucumber kimchi in just 30 minutes! 

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Top 5 Mouth-Watering Cucumber Kimchi Recipes! 

Thinking about how to make cucumber kimchi at home? Look no further as here are the top 5 cucumber kimchi recipes that you surely need to try out this summer. 

1. 30-Minute Cucumber Kimchi 

This has to be the recipe of your dreams. Skip the fermentation process, as this cucumber kimchi recipe can be prepared in just 30 minutes. 

Ingredients 

• 5–6 English cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced into medium-sized chunks
• 2-3 onions, thinly sliced 
• 2–3 carrots, peeled, and Julienne 
• 7-8 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2-3 tbsp. of gochugaru 
• 1 tbsp. of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. of fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar 
• Salt and sugar according to taste
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Recipe Guide 

1. In a utensil bowl, add the chopped-up chunks of English cucumbers, onions, carrots, garlic, and salt. Keep it for 10 minutes, and then drain out the moisture. 
2. Next, to this same bowl, add gochugaru, sugar, sesame oil, fish sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Give everything a good mix and keep it aside for 20–30 minutes. 
3. Lastly, garnish your 30-minute cucumber kimchi with some sesame seeds. 

2. Korean cucumber kimchi 

Spicy, sour, and sweet, this Korean cucumber kimchi recipe is jam-packed with flavors, and you surely need to try it today. 

Ingredients 

• 5–6 cucumbers, washed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces 
• 2–3 carrots, peeled, and Julienne 
• Garlic chives, washed and chopped 
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• Ginger, finely minced 
• 2 tbsp. of Korean red chili powder 
• 1 apple, peeled and grated 
• 1 onion, grated
• 1 tbsp. of fish sauce
• Salt and sugar according to taste

Recipe Guide 

1. In a bowl, add cucumber chunks and some salt. Let it sit for a while until all the moisture from the cucumbers is released. 
2. In another small bowl, make your kimchi paste by mixing grated garlic, onion, apple, and ginger with some fish sauce, sugar, and Korean red chili powder. 
3. Drain out the moisture from the cucumbers, and then add carrots, garlic, chives, and kimchi paste to this bowl. 
4. Properly coat the kimchi paste on your veggies. Let it ferment for a few hours at room temperature, and then serve it along with some hot rice. 

3. Cucumber Kimchi Salad

Looking for a tasty and slurpy snack to munch on? Then here is your chance to say bye to your food cravings with a tempting recipe for spiral cucumber kimchi salad.

Ingredients 

• 5–6 mini cucumbers, washed and cut diagonally on both sides to give them a spiral shape. 
• 7-8 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2-3 spring onions, finely chopped 
• 2-3 tbsp. of gochugaru 
• 1 tbsp. of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar 
• Salt and sugar according to taste
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Recipe Guide 

1. In a bowl, add spiral cucumbers and salt. Keep it for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the moisture is released, drain the excess water, and then rinse these cucumbers in some cold water and pat them dry. 
2. Next in the same bowl, add minced garlic, chopped spring onion, gochugaru, sugar, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. 
3. To finish this recipe, coat your spiral cucumbers with the gochugaru mix. If you like your kimchi more on the sour side, you can let this ferment for about 30 to 45 minutes. 

4. No Gochugaru Cucumber Kimchi

How do you make cucumber kimchi without any flavor of gochugaru? Well, we have got you covered, as this recipe doesn’t even use a hint of gochugaru. 

Ingredients 

• 7-8 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 5–6 English cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced into medium-sized chunks
• Sesame oil
• 1-2 tbsp. of paprika 
• ½ tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 2-3 onions, thinly sliced 
• 2-3 green onions, chopped 
• 2–3 carrots, peeled, and Julienne 
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• ½ tbsp red chili flakes
• Salt and sugar as per requirement 

Recipe Guide

1. To drain out the excess water from the cucumbers, first, in a medium-sized bowl, add your cucumber chunks with some salt and keep this aside for about 2 to 5 minutes. 
2. Once the excess moisture is released, drain it out and then add onions, carrots, green onions, and garlic to the same bowl. 
3. After this, add paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar to the bowl. You can also include sesame seeds in this salad.
4. Give everything a good mix and let it ferment for a few hours. 

5. Cucumber Kimchi Recipe with an Indian Twist

Want to try some juicy cucumber kimchi but don’t have access to all the fancy ingredients? Well, then this easy and quick kimchi recipe surely deserves all your attention.

Ingredients 

• 2-3 cucumbers, washed and chopped 
• Salt as per preference 
• 1 ginger, thinly sliced 
• 3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 thin red chilies, finely chopped 
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce 
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder 
• ½ tbsp. of freshly crushed black pepper 
• 1 tbsp. of cooking oil
• 30–50 ml of water

Recipe Guide 

1. In a medium-sized bowl, add thinly sliced cucumbers with some rock salt. Let it sit for a while and drain out the excess water. 
2. In a separate bowl, prepare your kimchi sauce. Add vinegar, soy sauce, red chili powder, black pepper powder, sugar, and water to this bowl. Mix everything properly.
3. Next, heat some cooking oil, and then put chopped-up ginger, garlic, and chilies in the pan. 
4. Saute for a while, and then add your prepared kimchi sauce mix. Cook everything for 2-3 minutes, and lastly, put the sliced pieces of cucumber in the pan. 
5. Toss the cucumbers in your prepared sauce. Turn off the heat and enjoy this with a bowl of rice. 

Key Takeaways

Cucumber kimchi is not only low in calories but also extremely rich in fiber. It is indeed a good alternative to store-bought pickles. Various sources claim that consuming kimchi regularly with your meals can also help you control your sugar and cholesterol levels. Not to forget, the bacteria in kimchi also helps us to keep our immune system strong and healthy. 

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