Golden Ratio Recipe: Clean and Refreshing Summer Cucumber Ki
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This is a recipe for quick and easy summer cucumber kimchi (oi-kimchi) made without chives, using simple ingredients like cucumbers, onions, gochugaru (고춧가루), and myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓). It's known for its clean, refreshing taste and crisp texture that doesn't get soggy.
📝 Editor's Notes
This is a summer cucumber kimchi (oi-kimchi) recipe that can be quickly made in about 30 minutes with just 3-4 cucumbers and an onion.
Its clean and refreshing taste, even without chives, is excellent for boosting appetite during hot summer days.
The combination of crisp cucumbers and a spicy-sweet seasoning pairs perfectly not only as a side dish for rice but also with refreshing noodles or bibimbap.
It even includes a secret tip to keep it from getting soggy so you can enjoy it longer, making it foolproof for kimchi beginners.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
Choose cucumbers that are straight, have a glossy skin, and feel firm overall.
It's good if the stem end is fresh and not dried out.
Summer cucumbers are particularly watery and crisp, making them very suitable for kimchi.
For tomatoes, choose ripe ones that are not too soft, are firm, and have a vibrant red color.
Fresh onions have dry, firm skins and a glossy appearance.
Fresh ingredients will enhance the taste of your cucumber kimchi even further.
🔄 Substitution Guide
In this recipe, we add minced tomato to deepen the flavor of the seasoning.
If you don't have a tomato, you can mince about 1/4 of an apple or pear instead.
The sweetness and refreshing quality of apples or pears will add a unique charm to the cucumber kimchi.
You can use sugar or oligo syrup instead of allulose, but allulose is a lower-calorie option, making it a better choice if you're on a diet.
If you don't have myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) or dislike its fishy taste, you can substitute it with tuna sauce (chamchi-aek) or sand lance fish sauce (kkanaeri-aekjeot), though the unique umami flavor of myeolchi-aekjeot might be slightly diminished.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
The most crucial point is the cucumber brining process.
Brine with 1 tbsp of coarse salt for 15-20 minutes, turning 2-3 times in between to ensure even brining.
Be sure to adhere to the time, as over-brining can make them too salty.
The second point is to thoroughly squeeze out the water from the brined cucumbers.
Sufficiently removing the water prevents the cucumbers from getting soggy and helps them retain their crisp texture for longer.
This is a key secret to delicious cucumber kimchi.
Lastly, when making the seasoning sauce, adjust the allulose, Miwon (미원), and salt to your taste to find your own golden ratio.
👨🍳 Directions
Remove the stem from 1 large tomato (as seen in the video) and finely mince it using a chopper or food processor.
For 3-4 cucumbers, peel off the thicker or darker green parts of the skin as needed (to prevent bitterness), then cut them into easy-to-eat sizes and shapes.
Add 1 tbsp of coarse salt to the prepared cucumbers and mix thoroughly. Let them brine for 15-20 minutes, turning them 2-3 times during the process. If the brined cucumbers are too salty, rinse them once with water; if they are just right, use them as is.
Finely mince half of 1 onion and thinly julienne the other half.
In a bowl, combine the minced onion, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 3 tbsp gochugaru (고춧가루), allulose (as needed), a pinch of Miwon (미원), a pinch of salt, and 3 tbsp myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓). Mix well to create the seasoning sauce.
Squeeze out the water from the brined cucumbers thoroughly.
Add the drained cucumbers and julienned onion to the seasoning sauce. Mix well until everything is evenly coated, and your cucumber kimchi is complete.
💡 Tips
The darker green parts of the cucumber skin can be bitter, so peeling them as needed makes it more pleasant to eat.
When brining cucumbers with salt, adjust the amount of salt and brining time, tasting as you go, to suit your preference.
You must squeeze out the water from the brined cucumbers thoroughly to prevent them from getting soggy and to store them longer.
If you buy small bottles of myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) and Miwon (미원), they can be used for a long time.
📦 Storage & Reuse
The finished cucumber kimchi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoyed deliciously for about a week.
Due to the nature of cucumbers, water may accumulate over time, so it's best to consume it as quickly as possible.
If you wish to store it longer, you can portion and freeze it, but the crisp texture of the cucumbers may significantly decrease upon thawing.
For leftover cucumber kimchi, rinse it with water, squeeze out the moisture, then mix it with sesame oil and sesame seeds to use as a topping for bibimbap, or add it to kimchi jjigae for a unique flavor.
🥢 Who This Is For
This cucumber kimchi is highly recommended for those looking for a refreshing and clean-tasting side dish during the hot summer.
Its spicy, sweet, and crisp flavor will be a perfect 'rice thief' when you've lost your appetite.
Especially when served with greasy dishes like grilled samgyeopsal (pork belly) or baeksuk (boiled chicken), it cuts through the richness, making them even more delicious.
It's also a delightful topping for refreshing naengmyeon (cold noodles) or kongguksu (cold soybean noodle soup).
Since it's easy to make, it's also a great dish for students living alone or newlywed couples.
🔥 Nutrition Info
This cucumber kimchi is very low in calories, as cucumbers and onions are the main ingredients.
One serving is estimated to be around 30-50 kcal, with very low protein and fat content, and about 5-10g of carbohydrates.
Cucumbers are high in water content and rich in Vitamin K and potassium, which aid in diuresis and help eliminate waste products from the body.
Onions are rich in quercetin, which helps with antioxidant activity.
Along with the umami flavor of myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓), it's a healthy side dish that also helps with mineral intake.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
- Q. What ingredients do I need for Golden Ratio Recipe: Clean and Refreshing Summer Cucumber Kimchi (Chive-Free)?
- Main ingredients include Cucumbers, Tomato, Coarse salt, Onion, Minced garlic. Choose cucumbers that are straight, have a glossy skin, and feel firm overall. It's good if the stem end is fresh and not dried out. Summer cucumbers are particularly watery and crisp, making them very suitable for kimchi. For tomatoes, choose ripe ones that are not too soft, are firm, and have a vibrant red color. Fresh onions have dry, firm skins and a glossy appearance. Fresh ingredients will enhance the taste of your cucumber kimchi even further.
- Q. What are the key tips for making Golden Ratio Recipe: Clean and Refreshing Summer Cucumber Kimchi (Chive-Free)?
- The most crucial point is the cucumber brining process. Brine with 1 tbsp of coarse salt for 15-20 minutes, turning 2-3 times in between to ensure even brining. Be sure to adhere to the time, as over-brining can make them too salty. The second point is to thoroughly squeeze out the water from the brined cucumbers. Sufficiently removing the water prevents the cucumbers from getting soggy and helps them retain their crisp texture for longer. This is a key secret to delicious cucumber kimchi. Lastly, when making the seasoning sauce, adjust the allulose, Miwon (미원), and salt to your taste to find your own golden ratio.
- Q. How should I store leftover Golden Ratio Recipe: Clean and Refreshing Summer Cucumber Kimchi (Chive-Free)?
- The finished cucumber kimchi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoyed deliciously for about a week. Due to the nature of cucumbers, water may accumulate over time, so it's best to consume it as quickly as possible. If you wish to store it longer, you can portion and freeze it, but the crisp texture of the cucumbers may significantly decrease upon thawing. For leftover cucumber kimchi, rinse it with water, squeeze out the moisture, then mix it with sesame oil and sesame seeds to use as a topping for bibimbap, or add it to kimchi jjigae for a unique flavor.
- Q. How many calories are in Golden Ratio Recipe: Clean and Refreshing Summer Cucumber Kimchi (Chive-Free)?
- This cucumber kimchi is very low in calories, as cucumbers and onions are the main ingredients. One serving is estimated to be around 30-50 kcal, with very low protein and fat content, and about 5-10g of carbohydrates. Cucumbers are high in water content and rich in Vitamin K and potassium, which aid in diuresis and help eliminate waste products from the body. Onions are rich in quercetin, which helps with antioxidant activity. Along with the umami flavor of myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓), it's a healthy side dish that also helps with mineral intake.
- Q. Can I substitute ingredients in Golden Ratio Recipe: Clean and Refreshing Summer Cucumber Kimchi (Chive-Free)?
- In this recipe, we add minced tomato to deepen the flavor of the seasoning. If you don't have a tomato, you can mince about 1/4 of an apple or pear instead. The sweetness and refreshing quality of apples or pears will add a unique charm to the cucumber kimchi. You can use sugar or oligo syrup instead of allulose, but allulose is a lower-calorie option, making it a better choice if you're on a diet. If you don't have myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) or dislike its fishy taste, you can substitute it with tuna sauce (chamchi-aek) or sand lance fish sauce (kkanaeri-aekjeot), though the unique umami flavor of myeolchi-aekjeot might be slightly diminished.
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