We love Asian cuisine – that’s probably because we like everything a little spicier. Let’s just say that slightly »hotter« dishes are not uncommon in Asia, right?! ;) This delicious Korean Cucumber Salad (with Gochugaru) also packs a punch… if you’re not careful with the chili flakes, aka. Gochugaru. If you like it tasty and spicy, you should definitely make this recipe!
For a quick lunch or dinner, this simple cucumber salad with some cooked rice on the side is just perfect. The cucumber(s) are quickly chopped and mixed with the spices. Then you just have to let it all sit for a while, and in the meantime you can cook some rice. Bam! You’ve got a simple and delicious meal ready to go.
Simple dishes like this here are perfect when you don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Happens to us quite often when we’ve had a stressful day. Instead of ordering something expensive from a delivery service, you can satisfy your hunger, big or small, with a simple cucumber salad like this. Add some bread or something else on the side and a yogurt with fresh fruit for dessert, and your two-course dinner is sorted. ;P
You can eat this salad as it is, without anything else. But, as already mentioned, you can also cook some rice to go with it and serve it alongside the salad. If you want to spice things up a bit, add some meatballs or Korean fried chicken. You can make these yourself (we got a nice recipe for spicy meatballs), or simply pick up some Korean fried chicken from your favorite chicken dealer on the way home – that’s what we like to do. ;P
We like to slice the cucumber a little thicker, but you can also use a veggie slicer* to get very thin slices – some people like that better. Simple and easy cucumber salads where you simply chop the cucumbers into a Tupperware container, add the spices, and then shake everything in the container have been getting a lot of attention lately on TikTok, for example. This is basically the same here. Simple and quick. »Zack-Zack« as some Germans would say… ;P
We have a few more salad recipes on the blog. If you want to stay in Asia, try our Thai Style Kohlrabi Salad, for example. It takes a bit more time to prepare compared to the cucumber salad here, but it’s definitely worth the extra effort.
Our Burrata with Tomato Salad & Toasted Bread is just as quick and easy to prepare as the cucumber salad. It’s a delicious summer dish you place on the table and everyone can help themselves as they please. We love shared dishes a lot here!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(2-4 servings)
For the salad:
3-4 small cucumbers, sliced
2 spring onions, in rings
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
For the dressing:
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp. Gochugaru*
2 tbsp. soy sauce*
1 tbsp. rice vinegar*
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil*
1 tbsp. honey (or maple syrup)
salt, pepper
some sesame seeds for decorations (optional)
(2–4 Portionen)
Für den Salat:
3–4 kleine Gurken, in Scheiben
2 Frühlingszwiebeln, in Ringen
1/2 rote Zwiebel, in dünne Spalten
Für das Dressing:
1 Knoblauchzehe, fein gehackt
1–2 EL Gochugaru*
2 EL Sojasauce*
1 EL Reisessig*
1 EL geröstetes Sesamöl*
1 EL Honig (oder Ahornsirup)
Salz, Pfeffer
etwas Sesam zum Garnieren (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Wash and dry the cucumbers. Cut them (in a slight angle) into thick slices. Clean the spring onion and cut into rings. Peel the red onion and cut into thin slices. Add everything to a container with a lid.
2. For the dressing, peel the garlic and chop very finely (or press through a garlic press*). Add the garlic together with the Gochugaru, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey to the container with the sliced cucumber, close it and shake until the cucumber slices are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. You can serve the salad immediately or let it sit for 10 minutes, so the cucumbers can marinate in the dressing for some time.
Notes:
+ We love to eat the cucumber salad as it is along with some cooked rice. When served as the main dish, with rice on the side, it should be enough for 2 persons. As a smaller side, the salad should be enough for 4 servings.
+ If you are new to Gochugaru you might want to start with only one tablespoon – if you like it hot, add more! ;)
1. Die Gurken waschen und trocknen, dann (wer mag, leicht schräg) in dicke Scheiben schneiden. Frühlingszwiebeln säubern und in Ringe schneiden. Die rote Zwiebel schälen und in dünne Spalten schneiden. Alles in einen Behälter (mit Deckel) füllen.
2. Für das Dressing den Knoblauch schälen und sehr fein hacken (oder durch eine Knoblauchpresse* drücken). Den Knoblauch dann zusammen mit Gochugaru, Sojasauce, Reisessig, Sesamöl und Honig in den Behälter mit den Gurkenscheiben geben, verschließen und schütteln, bis die Gurkenscheiben gleichmäßig mit dem Dressing bedeckt sind. Nach Belieben mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Man kann den Salat sofort servieren oder für 10 Minuten ziehen lassen, damit die Gurken etwas Zeit haben, sich mit dem Dressing anzufreunden.
Tipps:
+ Wir essen den Gurkensalat gerne so wie er ist, zusammen mit etwas gekochtem Reis. Als Hauptgericht mit Reis als Beilage sollte er für 2 Personen reichen. Als kleinere Beilage ist es genug für bis zu 4 Portionen.
+ Wer Gochugaru noch nicht kennt, sollten vielleicht mit nur einem EL starten. Wer es schärfer mag, kann natürlich noch nachlegen. ;)
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Easy Korean Cucumber Salad (with Gochugaru)
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:00
- Total Time: 00:10
- Yield: 2
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Korea
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple and easy-to-prepare salad you can eat all day – Korean Cucumber Salad (with Gochugaru) is hot and delicious! We love it!
Ingredients
For the salad:
3-4 small cucumbers, sliced
2 spring onions, in rings
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
For the dressing:
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp. Gochugaru*
2 tbsp. soy sauce*
1 tbsp. rice vinegar*
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil*
1 tbsp. honey (or maple syrup)
salt, pepper
some sesame seeds for decorations (optional)
Instructions
1. Wash and dry the cucumbers. Cut them (in a slight angle) into thick slices. Clean the spring onion and cut into rings. Peel the red onion and cut into thin slices. Add everything to a container with a lid.
2. For the dressing, peel the garlic and chop very finely (or press through a garlic press*). Add the garlic together with the Gochugaru, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey to the container with the sliced cucumber, close it and shake until the cucumber slices are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. You can serve the salad immediately or let it sit for 10 minutes, so the cucumbers can marinate in the dressing for some time.
Notes
+ We love to eat the cucumber salad as it is along with some cooked rice. When served as the main dish, with rice on the side, it should be enough for 2 persons. As a smaller side, the salad should be enough for 4 servings.
+ If you are new to Gochugaru you might want to start with only one tablespoon – if you like it hot, add more! ;)
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
