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Home » Korean Hawaiian

Korean Cucumber Salad

by Beth Lee · Published: Jan 20, 2023

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Pinterest image showing Korean cucumber salad in a white bowl with red chopsticks.

Korean cucumber salad, a type of pickled cucumber, is so refreshing. Serve this as part of a spread of banchan (Korean small plate dishes) or on its own to compliment a protein and rice.

You might also love this Israeli style cucumber tomato salad.

For ease of browsing, find all of my Korean Hawaiian recipes in one place.

Korean cucumber salad in white bowl with red chopsticks

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Why you'll love this recipe

These Korean pickled cucumbers are such an easy and refreshing side dish. No actual cooking involved. Just some chopping and mixing and you're ready to go.

Quick pickled cucumbers are so great because you have something delicious to eat almost immediately but they only get better if you let them sit. So make this dish at the last minute or plan ahead. Whatever works for your schedule.

I based this recipe on my husband's Hawaiian family recipes. They call this salad cucumber namul. Namul means seasoned marinated vegetables and are often part of a larger spread of banchan (pronounced Panchan) that are served before and alongside a Korean meal.

Ingredients and substitutions

My husband's family recipes tend to be on the milder side, spice-wise but the beauty of this cucumber salad is that you can absolutely adjust the ingredients to match your palate.

Ingredient shot for Korean cucumber salad showing cucumbers and all the flavorings for the salad.
  • Cucumbers: My three favorite cucumbers for this are Japanese, Korean, or Persian cucumbers. But you can also use a Kirby (pickling cucumber), an English cucumber or a standard garden cucumber. For the latter, you might want to peel it as the skin tends to be thicker and scoop out the seeds.
  • Green onion: Chives could work here too.
  • Garlic: Normally, I am not a raw garlic fan but some finely diced garlic is a nice addition here and definitely typical for a Korean dish.
  • Rice vinegar: White wine, apple cider, or sherry vinegar are possible substitutes.
  • Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds are available at just about any store, but if you are at a Korean market, you should find toasted sesame seeds available. If not, just pop your sesame seeds in a pan and toss around on medium heat until they start taking on some color. Another possibility here would be black sesame seeds.
  • Sesame oil: This adds a nutty rich flavor.
  • Soy sauce: I use low-sodium soy sauce but regular is fine here too.
  • Gochugaru: This is Korean ground red pepper - available coarse ground or fine ground. If you don't have any, use cayenne or even togorashi from your Japanese spice collection.

How to make this recipe

Easy peasy is how I would describe this quick pickled cucumber salad. In a pinch, you can even skip draining the water from the cucumbers to shorten the process even further. But I recommend doing it if you can.

1. Start by prepping the cucumbers - my husband's family cuts the cucumbers in half moons by cutting the cucumbers in half lengthwise first. But you can speed the prep along by just slicing the cucumbers whole. Slice the cucumbers as thin as you want - mine were about ⅛" thick.

Cutting cucumbers on a wooden cutting board with a Japanese knife.

2. Place the sliced cucumbers in a strainer and add the salt and sugar to the cucumber, mixing it in with your hands. Let the cucumbers sit for at least 15 minutes.

Sliced cucumbers in a strainer over a sink.

3. While the cucumbers are resting, finely chop the garlic and green onion.

Finely chopped garlic and green onions on a wooden cutting board.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, green onion, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil and gochugaru.

Seasoning mixture in a red bowl.

5. Squeeze the water out of the cucumbers (no need to rinse).

Squeezing water out of cucumbers over a strainer.

6. Add the cucumbers to a medium bowl, pour the rice vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and mix well. Your hands are a good tool for this.

Cucumbers ready to be dressed in a white bowl.
Seasoning mixture poured on cucumbers in white bowl.
Cucumbers and seasoning mixture blended together in white bowl.

7. Taste for flavor - the amounts I specify in the recipe create a mild version of this salad. If you like more punch, feel free to increase the gochugaru, add more sesame oil, punch up the garlic. Whatever tastes good to you!

Korean pickled cucumbers in a white bowl with red chopsticks.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs

  1. Use whatever cucumbers you have or can find to make this cucumber salad. If the seeds are large, just cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop the seeds out.
  2. I've made this quick pickled cucumber salad at the last minute and skipped the draining of the water from the cucumbers. Ultimately, if you don't finish the salad right away, you may get some extra water in your bowl which will dilute your flavors. But it is a reasonable step to skip if you are in a hurry.
  3. This Korean cucumber salad can take on a more Japanese pickled cucumber feel by eliminating the garlic, using togorashi instead of gochugaru and furikake instead of sesame seeds.
How long will this Korean cucumber salad last in the refrigerator.

The salad will be best within three days of when you make it. I promise you'll finish it more quickly than that!

What is the Korean name for this salad?

In my husband's family, it is called cucumber namul. Namul means seasoned marinated vegetables. They also have recipes for bean sprout namul and spinach namul. But another correct name for this pickled cucumber salad is oi muchim. Oi means cucumber, muchim means to season. Whatever you call it, it's delicious!

What does banchan mean and when are they served?

Banchan are small side dishes that are served with a typical Korean meal. Often they are brought out almost like an appetizer, if eating in a restaurant, and then are refilled as the meal progresses. This cucumber salad might be one. They range from types of kimchi to potato to radish to sprouts to spinach and even small fish varieties.

Bowl of Korean cucumber salad with red chopsticks.

What to serve with Korean cucumber salad

Kalbi Marinade - how to make the Hawaiian version of this classic Korean marinade

Kalbi marinade in a measuring cup on a light blue background.

Grilled Korean Short Ribs - see all the methods for cooking these marinated ribs!

kalbi ribs with red chopticks

Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

Top down view of plate of mandu with black chopsticks.

Portuguese Sausage and Soy Sauce Eggs

Portuguese Sausage

Prime Rib Fried Rice

bowl of beef fried rice with wooden chop sticks

Bulgogi Burgers with Kimchi Sauce

Bulgogi burger on a wooden board with a red bowl of coleslaw in the background.

P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

Korean cucumber salad in white bowl with red chopsticks

Korean Cucumber Salad

Beth Lee
Korean cucumber salad, a type of pickled cucumber, is so refreshing. Serve this as part of a spread of banchan (Korean small plate dishes) or on its own to compliment a protein and rice.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Resting Time for Cucumbers 15 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Korean
Servings 6
Calories 19 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 - 3 Persian cucumbers about 1 pound (Korean, Japanese or English cucumbers also good choices)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 green onion finely minced
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds plus extra for garnishing
  • ½ teaspoon gochugaru
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Prep the cucumbers into half moons by cutting the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slicing. You can speed the prep along by just slicing the cucumbers whole. Slice the cucumbers as thin as you want - mine were about ⅛" thick. You can remove some of the skin of the cucumber to create a "design" but this is purely optional, unless you think the cucumber peel is too thick and you want to remove it partially or completely.
    Cutting cucumbers for Korean cucumber salad on a wooden cutting board with a Japanese knife.
  • Place the sliced cucumbers in a strainer and add the salt and sugar to the cucumber, mixing it in with your hands. Let the cucumbers sit for at least 15 minutes.
    Sliced cucumbers in a strainer over a sink.
  • While the cucumbers are resting, finely chop the garlic and green onion.
    Finely chopped garlic and green onions on a wooden cutting board.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, green onion, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and gochugaru.
    Seasoning mixture in a red bowl.
  • Squeeze the water out of the cucumbers (no need to rinse). I just used my hands to do the squeezing. You can also find a plate that fits in the strainer and press down to release the water.
  • Add the cucumbers to a medium bowl, pour the rice vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and mix well. Your hand are a good tool for this.
    Seasoning mixture poured on cucumbers in white bowl ready to be mixed to create the Korean cucumber salad..
  • Taste for flavor - the amounts in the recipe create a mild version of this salad. If you like more punch, feel free to increase the gochugaru, add more sesame oil, punch up the garlic. Whatever tastes good to you!
    Bowl of Korean cucumber salad with red chopsticks.

Notes

  • Use whatever cucumbers you have or can find. If the seeds are large, just cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop the seeds out.
  • I've made this salad at the last minute and skipped the draining of the water from the cucumbers. Ultimately, if you don't finish the salad right away, you may get some extra water in your bowl which will dilute your flavors. But it is a reasonable step to skip if you are in a hurry.
  • This Korean cucumber salad can take on a more Japanese pickled cucumber feel by eliminating the garlic, using togorashi instead of gochugaru and furikake instead of sesame seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 19kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 422mgPotassium: 84mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 118IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword banchan, cucumber, pickled cucumbers
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Beth Lee in red apron looking at vegetables on cutting board

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Reader Interactions

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    5 from 7 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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  1. Ilana

    April 09, 2024 at 5:28 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! I served this alongside Bulgogi Burgers. Dinner was a big hit!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      April 09, 2024 at 7:50 am

      I am so glad! I love this salad with so many things and the leftovers stand up well too!

      Reply
  2. Linda

    January 30, 2023 at 7:20 pm

    5 stars
    Made the cucumber salad tonight to go as a side to an oxtail stew. Yum! Definitely will be making this again soon—so versatile—it should be a great side dish with so many main dishes. Thanks Beth for another great recipe!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      January 30, 2023 at 7:43 pm

      Yay - always makes me so happy when you make a recipe and love it! And having the great power of being the blog owner I was able to change "snort" to "another" but I have to say the original autocorrect did make me laugh and that's always a good thing!

      Reply
  3. Laura Bashar

    January 20, 2023 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    This is such a refreshing salad! We just love it!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      January 21, 2023 at 4:08 pm

      Yay - so glad you liked it. Just made another batch to take to a crab feast!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Beth!

I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together! 

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