For the past year since we moved to Ankeny almost a year and half ago, our Friday night ritual consists of going for a Korean dinner in Ames. A friend of mine recommended a hole in the wall Korean restaurant on a local college campus, tucked inside an industrial building with miscellaneous businesses inside. The restaurant is about 750 square feet in size, a handful of tables, a limited menu, and only open from Monday to Friday. It is a good 20 minutes drive from our house; so I happily obliged.
These cucumbers remind me a lot of the pickled vegetables that we normally get at typical Korean restaurants. I started making them last summer, and was pretty happy at how tasty they taste – and how easy to put together. I crave these once in a while when I want something light and a bit spicy. They are a perfect companion for any Asian inspired dishes, like these Sweet and Spicy Korean Chickens or Kalbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs).
Ingredients:
1 Korean cucumber or 2 Kirby (pickling) cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) – use less if desired
1 tablespoon chopped scallion
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
Thinly slice the cucumber (1/8 to 1/4-inch thick).
Toss gently with salt and set aside for 15 -20 minutes.
Drain excess liquid. (Avoid squeezing them because they will bruise.)
Mix well with all remaining ingredients.
Adapted from Eating and Living
These sound amazing, I love the simplicity of the recipe!
Great pickles! I love pickles, and these look nice and spicy. Love the flavors you have in these! Thanks so much.
I love nibbling on this one together with some galbi
A simple and delicious cucumber salad. I love it.
Filing away this recipe for when my homegrown cucumbers become available, it will be awhile as it is winter in NY but I can wait.
What a refreshing and beautiful salad, Yudith!
This is making me salivate. I love this stuff!
I LOVE this salad! Thanks for the recipe (:
http://andgeesaid.blogspot.com.au/
I love these kind of easy and delicious recipes!
This cucumber salad look great…so tasty and refreshing.
Have a wonderful week Yudith!
Oh yum. I love cucumbers plain or pickled.
I eat cucumbers all the time, preparing the similar way. This is going to be my next cucumber recipe to try! So refreshing and crunchy photo, Yudith!
what a great fresh looking salad for such a cold wintery day.
Oh I do love these pickled cucumbers! I haven’t had them in a while and now I’m craving them! Thanks for the recipe!
I love pickled cucumber! I have a similar version that I make all the time. I really love that garlic and chili in there.
Your pictures are so nice…making my mouth watered. Hehe…I guess it’s time for me to pickle another batch.
absolutely love this dish. So refreshing and healthy too!!! yummm! I haven’t really tried the Korean style, but I believe it’s pretty similar to Chinese style!
Spicy pickles sounds great! I love having something pickled to go with meals.
Oh Yudith! You made my favourite thing. My Mum makes me a variation with zucchini too. It’s soo soo good!