Korean cucumber salad has always been my favorite side dish served at any Korean restaurant I go to. It’s so crispy, tangy, spicy, and savory. It’s normally served as a side with meals, but I love eating it by itself as well. It’s simple and quick to make and doesn’t require too many ingredients, and it comes together in just about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Method
- Slice the Persian cucumbers. You can slice them into thin rounds or accordion-style. To cut them accordion-style, make straight, vertical cuts into the cucumber. Cut about 2/3 of the way through the cucumber, being careful not to cut all the way through. Placing the cucumber on top of two chopsticks can help prevent the knife from cutting to deeply. Then, flip the cucumber over to the other side and make diagonal cuts down the length of the cucumber, again cutting about 2/3 of the way through. Repeat with the remaining cucumbers.
- Place the sliced cucumbers into a bowl and season with 2 teaspoons sea salt or regular salt. Rub the salt into the cucumbers until evenly coated. The salt will help drain excess moisture from the cucumbers, making them crispier and crunchier. Let the cucumbers sit for about 20 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients.
- If using green onions, slice them length-wise into thin pieces and set aside.
- Mince the garlic cloves and set aside.
- After 20 minutes, drain the cucumbers and rinse thoroughly.
- Place the cucumbers in a jar or container with enough room to add the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the gochugaru flakes, sesame oil, white vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, sliced green onions, minced garlic, and sesame seeds to the jar/container with the cucumbers. Close the jar/container and shake well until the cucumbers are evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Enjoy this crispy, spicy, tangy cucumber salad on its own or as a side dish paired with a hearty Korean dish! For the best flavor, let the cucumbers sit for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator, so that they have more time to soak up all the flavoring. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.