Try this Spiralized Cucumber Kimchi recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 english seedless cucumber blade a, noodles trimmed
- 2 scallions, white and light green parts only finely chopped
- 1 †piece fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon korean chile powder (gochugaru)
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- Carbohydrate 0.395300000094341 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.00505 g
- Fiber 0.0209999990463257 g
- Protein 0.0889 g
- Saturated Fat 0.000905 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (7g)
- Sodium 240.561600000507 mg
- Sugar 0.374300001048015 g
- Trans Fat 0.00152 g
- Calories 3 calories
Step-by-step
- Add the cucumbers to a medium bowl along with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, combine garlic, scallions, ginger, rice vinegar, chile powder, honey and fish sauce in a medium mixing bowl.
- Drain the cucumbers and add them to the medium bowl with the vinegar mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. Lasts for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Discarding the liquid drawn out during salting ruins the texture of cucumber side dishes. Cucumbers contain high amounts of water that must be managed before seasoning occurs. Salting the spiralized English cucumber draws out excess moisture through osmosis. Let the salted noodles stand at room temperature for thirty minutes. Skipping this extraction step leaves the marinade watery and dull. Rinse the bowl if needed, but do not skip draining the liquid thoroughly through a colander. English cucumbers work best here because their thin skins and minimal seeds require no peeling or seeding. A specialized spiralizer creates long noodle strands, but a julienne peeler or a standard box grater produces acceptable alternatives if specialty kitchen tools are absent. Combine the minced garlic, finely chopped scallions, grated ginger, rice vinegar, gochugaru, honey, and fish sauce in a separate mixing bowl while the vegetables rest. Korean chile powder provides distinct smoky heat and vibrant red color without burning the palate. Regular chili flakes will alter both the flavor profile and the final appearance. Toss the drained cucumber noodles into the vinegar and spice mixture until evenly coated. Cover the container and refrigerate the mixture for at least twelve hours before serving. This resting period allows the flavors to penetrate the dense cellular walls of the cucumber. Proper refrigeration keeps this preparation safe for up to five days. Freezing destroys the crisp cellular structure of raw cucumbers completely, so this dish is strictly for fresh refrigerator storage and cannot be preserved in the freezer.
