• Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy

Curly's Cooking

Where great tasting food is always the answer

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
  • All Recipes
    • Main Course
    • Slow Cooker
    • Cakes
    • Soups, Salads & Light Meals
    • Cupcakes & Muffins
    • Bread
    • Biscuits, Cookies & Traybakes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Snacks & Sides
    • Desserts
  • Recipes By Diet
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
    • Gluten Free
  • Baking
    • Cakes
    • Cupcakes & Muffins
    • Biscuits, Cookies & Traybakes
    • Bread
    • Desserts
  • Cooking
    • Main Course
    • Slow Cooker
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Snacks & Sides
    • Soups, Salads & Light Meals
  • Easy Dinners

Snacks & Sides

Korean Cucumber Salad – Easy Banchan Dish

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The perfect mix of sweet, salty and spicy; this Korean Cucumber Salad is the perfect Banchan style side to elevate so many dishes. It’s really simple and takes no time at all to make.

What is a Korean cucumber salad?

This is a delicious, fresh and simple salad that mixes flavours perfectly. Not only is it packed full of flavour, but it is the crunch from the cucumber that really sets it apart.

In this Korean Cucumber Salad, the humble cucumber is given a lift with the delicious flavours that make up the dressing.

Cucumber salads are popular in Asian cuisines because of the freshness they provide. They help to cleanse your palate which can be needed if you are eating it alongside something spicy!

I took my inspiration from the traditional Korean dish Oi Muchim for my take on this cucumber salad. I am not claiming my version is authentic, but it is how I like to make my version.

what are banchan dishes?

Banchan literally translates to ‘small dishes’ in Korean. Banchan are served alongside rice and are traditionally meant to be shared with everyone at the table. They are served with a centre piece such as Korean BBQ or Bibimbap.

Banchan are usually served before the main course, but are not considered a starter. They are a served as complimentary dishes to the main event.

This Korean Cucumber Salad is the perfect Banchan style dish as it is delicious served with a number of main dishes.

Which cucumbers are best to use?

If you are from the UK, you might not realise that there are different types of cucumber. This is because most supermarkets only sell what are known as English cucumbers.

But there are different varieties and not all would be the best for this cucumber salad.

English/Hothouse – These types of cucumber are long and thin with small seeds and a thin skin. There is no need to peel or deseed these cucumbers and they have a natural sweetness. They are perfect for this salad.

American Slicing – Thick skinned with large harder seeds and usually bitter. I wouldn’t recommend this type for this salad, but if you absolutely insist on it you would need to peel and deseed them.

Kirby – These are sometimes also known as pickling cucumbers as this is commonly what they are used for. They are shorter and thicker with a knobbly skin which can range from light to dark green in colour.

Kirby cucumbers would work for this salad and you wouldn’t need to peel or remove their seeds.

Persian – I think of these as mini versions of English cucumbers. They are usually sold in multipacks and are more expensive than other types. They would work well for this recipe if you can’t find English cucumbers.

how to cut the cucumber?

You can cut the cucumber however you like for this salad. I prefer thin slices or half moon shapes.

You can cut the cucumber either by hand or with a mandolin. I have a Microplane vegetable grater which is super handy and creates perfect slices.

I like to cut thin slices because you get a good cucumber to dressing ratio. But you can definitely cut the slices chunkier if you prefer.

what is gochugaru?

Gochugaru is coarsely ground, spicy Korean chilli flakes. It is an essential ingredient in making gochujang, kimchi and many other authentic Korean recipes.

Although I haven’t seen gochugaru in standard supermarkets yet, it is easily found in Asian supermarkets and online.

If you like Korean food I really do recommend buying some as you will find yourself using it in a number of dishes like my Spicy Korean Pork Stew.

is this cucumber salad spicy?

It is completely up to you how spicy you want to make this salad. The recipe as per the quantities below is quite mild and suitable for most people.

Gochugaru can range in spice level so I would always recommend adding a small amount and tasting before you add any more.

My Korean Cucumber Salad appears to have less gochugaru in it that others you may find as it isn’t as red. If you love a bit of spice, feel free to add as much gochugaru as you like.

how to serve this korean cucumber salad

I will serve this salad with pretty much anything I can. If it is remotely Asian, chances are I will serve this cucumber salad with it.

It goes without saying that you should definitely serve this salad with Bibimbap. It also goes really well with my Spicy Korean Pork Stew, Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Sticky Sweet Chilli Chicken.

I would also serve this salad alongside Korean Chicken Wings and Sticky Korean Cocktail Sausages.

how long will this cucumber salad keep for?

I prefer to make as much as I think I will eat. This is because the cucumber stays crisp and crunchy when it is made fresh.

You can keep it in the fridge for up to two days, but the cucumber might not have the same crunch it once did. If you do want to keep it, I would recommend cutting the cucumber into thicker slices to help maintain it’s crispness.

It really is quite quick to make so unless you have some left that you don’t want to waste, I would recommend making this salad fresh.

Other recipes you might like

  • Korean Pork Lettuce Cups
  • Tenderstem Broccoli with Oyster Sauce & Garlic
  • Coleslaw (No Onions)
  • Beetroot, Red Pepper & Goat’s Cheese Salad
  • Balsamic Tomato Salad

Pin for later

5 from 8 votes
Print

Korean Cucumber Salad

The perfect mix of sweet, salty and spicy; this Korean Cucumber Salad is the perfect Banchan style side to elevate so many dishes. It's really simple and takes no time at all to make.

Course Side Dish, Salad
Cuisine Korean
Keyword Cucumber, Gochugaru
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 52 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber (sliced)
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • ¼ tsp gochugaru

Instructions

  1. Slice 1 cucumber thinly into a bowl and set aside

  2. Mix ½ tsp caster sugar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, ½ tbsp cider vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tsp sesame seeds and ¼ tsp gochugaru to a jug and mix

  3. Pour the dressing over the cucumber and stir thoroughly

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is given as a guide only and may vary. 

Nutrition Facts
Korean Cucumber Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 52 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 507mg22%
Potassium 130mg4%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 91IU2%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Share this...
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • email
  • Tumblr
  • StumbleUpon


16 Comments

Previous Post: « Pork & Apple Sausage Rolls
Next Post: Salted Popcorn & Pretzel Rocky Road »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janice says

    January 17, 2022 at 4:20 pm

    5 stars
    What a great idea! A really simple recipe but so full of flavour.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      April 7, 2022 at 8:55 pm

      Thanks Janice!

      Reply
  2. Lesley says

    January 18, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    5 stars
    I love a simple salad and the flavours you’ve added to this cucumber salad are spot on. I’m going to give this a try this week.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:39 pm

      Thanks Lesley, I’m a bit obsessed with it!

      Reply
  3. Choclette says

    January 18, 2022 at 5:10 pm

    5 stars
    What a delicious salad. Love those Korean flavours and cucumber is so good for giving a fresh feel to other dishes. I’m now feeling all clued up on Banchan dishes.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:53 pm

      Thank you, it really does add a lovely freshness.

      Reply
  4. Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says

    January 19, 2022 at 11:06 am

    5 stars
    Loving the flavours in this dish and I will definitely be returning to it come summer when our glut of greenhouse cucumbers arrives. Super-informative post too
    Thanks for sharing #CookBlogShare

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      Oh this will be perfect!

      Reply
  5. Sisley White - Sew White says

    January 19, 2022 at 1:05 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never tried anything like this before! Way too moreish and I could easily eat the whole portion

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      I made this tonight to go with dinner and I nearly ate it all before the rest of dinner was ready haha.

      Reply
  6. Carrie Carvalho says

    January 19, 2022 at 11:14 pm

    5 stars
    So nice and fresh with a hint of spice, this is such a great side dish!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:56 pm

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  7. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says

    January 25, 2022 at 9:26 am

    5 stars
    This looks utterly wonderful! Such fab flavours 😀

    Reply
    • Curly says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:57 pm

      Thanks Eb, it’s so tasty!

      Reply
  8. Chloe says

    April 7, 2022 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    Banchan is the best – the selection varies in every restaurant in Korea and it’s always a magical mystery tour!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      April 7, 2022 at 9:10 pm

      I will go one day!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Me!

Hi, I'm Cat aka Curly. I'm a home cook that likes nothing better than a day in the kitchen baking and cooking. Whether its sweet or savoury, in my mind food is always the answer. Meet Curly

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search This Website

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content

DON’T MISS OUT!

Subscribe to keep up to date with latest recipes.

Copyright © 2022 · www.curlyscooking.co.uk