Simple Cucumber Kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional side dish in Korea that uses salted and fermented vegetables. The most common type uses Napa cabbage and radishes, but there are many other types of kimchi! Aside from the popular cabbage version, another favorite of ours is cucumber kimchi.
Servings: 16
Calories: 45kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lbs cucumbers chopped in half or quarters
- 40 grams sea salt or pickling salt - anything with no additives works 3 Tablespoons
- 100 grams carrots grated (3/4 cups)
- 50 grams ginger minced (1/3 cup)
- 50 grams garlic minced (1/3 cup)
- 50 grams red onion chopped (1/3 cup) or chopped green onions
- 30 grams gochugaru
- 20 grams sugar 2 Tablespoons
- 20 grams sweet rice flour 2 Tablespoons -Optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients together in a bowl and mix. DO NOT ADD WATER. For FRESH cucumber kimchi:
- Cover the bowl, wait 30 minutes then serve.
For FERMENTED cucumber kimchi:
- Cover the bowl, and let everything sit in the bowl for 5-6 hours. During this time juices will release from the vegetables.
- Take mixture from the bowl and place in a jar with an airlock lid or a crock. If you don't have either of those, a regular jar and lid works fine, just open the lid every few days to release the gases that build during the fermentation process.
- Press down vegetables until the liquid covers everything. Add a weight to keep all the vegetables submerged in the brine. Ferment at room temperature 65-75ºF for three to five days.
- Transfer the fermented cucumber kimchi to an area 35-45ºF to stop the fermentation process. Enjoy!
- Makes one half gallon.
Notes
- This recipe was updated and improved (July 2025). There was a typo that is now fixed!
- The fermented cucumber kimchi is best eaten within a month. After that it will still store for YEARS but I found the fermented cucumbers start to get too soft and aren't palatable after that point.
- The recommended amount of gochugaru is a suggestion. You can adjust the spice level to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3262IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
