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Finished cubed cucumber kimchi in a wooden plate

Quick Cubed cucumber kimchi

Blonde Kimchi
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 30 minutes
This cubed cucumber kimchi is the quickest korean cucumber side dish. No fermentation, no fuss , just crispy, juicy cucumber cubes tossed in a gochugaru paste with garlic, plum syrup, and anchovy fish sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 47

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber
  • 0.5 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 0.5 tbsp sugar
Cucumber Kimchi Paste
  • 1.5 tbsp Gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tbsp minced garlic
  • 0.5 tbsp Maesil Cheong Korean green plum syrup. If you don't have it, use a small drizzle of honey plus a few drops of lemon juice.
  • 1 tbsp anchovy fish sauce Korean Myeolchi Aekjeot
  • 1/4 stalk green onion Used here instead of hard-to-find buchu (garlic chives)
Optional Toppings

Equipment

Method

  1. Wash the cucumber. Scrub or scrape off any prickles. Cut off both ends.
    Divide into 3 sections. Halve each lengthwise
    halve the cucumber for cubed cucumber kimchi called oil kkakdugi
  2. Remove seeds.
    remove the cucumber seeds for cubed cucumber kimchi
  3. Cut into bite-sized cubes.
    Cucumber cut into bite-sized cubes before salting for oi kkakdugi
  4. Toss with coarse sea salt and sugar. Rest for 20 minutes. Don' skip this process.
    Cubed cucumber tossed with coarse sea salt and sugar in a mixing bowl
  5. While waiting, finely slice the green onion and mince the garlic.
    sliced green onion instead of garlic chives
    6. Green onion is the substitute here, not the other way around. The original recipe actually calls for buchu (garlic chives), which is harder to find outside Korea. If you can get your hands on it, use buchu, cut into 2–3 cm lengths.
  6. Drain and discard the liquid. Do not rinse. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
    Liquid released from salted cucumber cubes being drained before seasoning
  7. Add gochugaru first. Toss until every cube is coated.
    Gochugaru being added to cucumber cubes before wet ingredients
  8. Add minced garlic, maesil cheong, and anchovy fish sauce. Toss to combine.
    Cucumber cubes evenly coated in red gochugaru paste in a mixing bowl
  9. Fold in sliced green onion gently.
    Sliced green onion folded into cubed cucumber kimchi mixture
  10. Top with sesame seeds and sliced red chili. You can serve immediately or refrigerate and eat it within 3 days.
    Overhead shot of cubed cucumber kimchi with sesame seeds on linen background

Nutrition

Calories 47kcal | Carbohydrates 9g | Protein 2g | Fat 1g | Saturated Fat 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g | Sodium 1298mg | Potassium 256mg | Fiber 2g | Sugar 6g | Vitamin A 1179IU | Vitamin C 35mg | Calcium 34mg | Iron 1mg

Notes

  • No rinsing after salting
  • Gochugaru first - coating before wet ingredients.
  • Storage: Airtight glass jar, fridge, up to 5 days. Best within 2–3 days.
  • Vegan swap: Replace fish sauce with 1 tbsp soy sauce.
  • Green onion note: Used here instead of hard-to-find buchu (garlic chives). 
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