Name: Easy Korean Cucumber Salad Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 5 mini cucumbers, or 2-3 regular-sized cucumbers (about 4 cups); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 3 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2-3 teaspoons chili oil, adjust for spice level; 3 teaspoons granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, optional; 3 tablespoons green onions, finely diced, optional

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Key Takeaways
Why Korean Easy Recipes Are Perfect for Your Table
The Origins and Beautiful Flavors Behind This Dish
Quick and Easy Recipes: Preparation Methods That Work
Healthy Easy Recipes for Every Occasion
Creative Variations and Customizations
Serving Suggestions and Perfect Pairings
Storage Tips and Make-Ahead Ideas
Notes & Tips

Key Takeaways

This Korean cucumber salad is a refreshing, light side dish that takes just 15 minutes to prepare. Created by Betty from Betty Cooks (https://www.bettycooks.com), this recipe combines crisp mini cucumbers with an authentic Asian dressing featuring rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil. Perfect for those seeking quick and easy recipes that don’t compromise on flavor, this salad serves 6 and works beautifully as a cold side dish for potlucks, picnics, or everyday dinners. The recipe is naturally vegetarian, gluten-free adaptable, and can be made as mild or spicy as you prefer.

Why Korean Easy Recipes Are Perfect for Your Table

When you’re looking for healthy easy recipes that pack authentic flavor into minimal prep time, Korean cuisine offers incredible possibilities. This cucumber salad represents the essence of what makes Korean easy recipes so appealing to home cooks everywhere. The combination of simplicity and depth creates a dish that feels special while remaining approachable for busy weeknights. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just starting your culinary journey, Korean easy recipes like this one prove that exceptional taste doesn’t require hours in the kitchen. The beauty of this particular recipe lies in its versatility—it complements everything from grilled meats to Asian stir-fries to simple rice bowls.

Betty from Betty Cooks has crafted this recipe to honor traditional Korean flavors while making them accessible to modern American kitchens. The result is a Korean easy recipes standout that demonstrates how quick and easy recipes can still deliver restaurant-quality results. This salad showcases vibrant colors, refreshing textures, and bold flavors that will have your guests asking for the recipe.

The Origins and Beautiful Flavors Behind This Dish

Korean cuisine has a long tradition of celebrating the natural qualities of fresh vegetables, and cucumber salads are a staple found at nearly every Korean meal. These dishes, known as “namul,” represent a philosophy of eating that honors seasonal ingredients and balanced flavors. The combination of salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy elements creates a harmonious dish that awakens the palate and complements heavier proteins beautifully.

The dressing in this recipe brings together several essential Asian flavors: the umami depth of soy sauce, the brightness of rice vinegar, the nutty warmth of sesame oil, and the gentle heat of chili oil. These ingredients work in concert to create layers of flavor that evolve as the cucumber salad sits and the flavors meld together. Unlike many Western salads that are best enjoyed immediately, this dish actually improves as it marinates, making it an ideal choice for meal prep or making ahead of time.

Quick and Easy Recipes: Preparation Methods That Work

The magic of quick and easy recipes often lies in smart preparation techniques, and this cucumber salad exemplifies this principle perfectly. The initial step of salting the cucumbers isn’t just a flavor choice—it’s a time-honored technique that removes excess moisture, ensuring your finished dish has the ideal crispness and allows the dressing to coat each piece evenly. This single step elevates the result from simply good to truly exceptional.

For presentation, you have delightful options. Using a spiralizer creates beautiful ribbon-like strands that look restaurant-quality and fun, though a sharp knife works equally well for thin slices. The visual appeal of this dish makes it perfect for entertaining, yet the actual preparation requires nothing more than basic knife skills or a simple kitchen tool. This accessibility is what makes quick and easy recipes like this one so valuable for everyday cooking.

Healthy Easy Recipes for Every Occasion

If you’re seeking healthy easy recipes that align with various dietary preferences, this cucumber salad checks all the boxes. Cucumbers are over 95% water, making them incredibly hydrating while remaining low in calories. They’re also excellent sources of vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants. The oils in the dressing provide healthy fats that help absorb fat-soluble vitamins and keep you satisfied.

This dish naturally accommodates numerous dietary approaches. It’s completely vegan and vegetarian, naturally gluten-free (with a soy sauce substitution if needed), and works beautifully within keto, low-carb, and paleo frameworks. Betty from Betty Cooks designed this recipe to be inclusive, allowing home cooks with different nutritional goals to enjoy authentic flavors without compromise. The healthy easy recipes category deserves options that don’t sacrifice taste for nutrition, and this salad delivers precisely that.

Creative Variations and Customizations

One of the wonderful aspects of this recipe is its flexibility. The base preparation remains the same, but endless possibilities emerge when you consider additions and modifications. For extra texture and protein, add halved cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red onions, or even drained canned chickpeas. Fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, or Thai basil introduce new flavor dimensions while maintaining the Asian-inspired profile.

The dressing itself invites experimentation. Prefer it sweeter? Increase the sugar slightly. Love heat? Double the chili oil or add Korean red pepper flakes. Prefer citrus notes? A squeeze of fresh lime juice adds brightness. Some cooks add a tablespoon of peanut butter to create a richer, creamier version. These variations demonstrate why recipes like this one remain popular across generations—they provide a foundation upon which you can build according to your preferences and what you have on hand.

Serving Suggestions and Perfect Pairings

This refreshing salad’s versatility makes it an ideal companion for countless main dishes. It pairs beautifully with grilled proteins, particularly chicken, beef, or fish. The cool, crisp nature of the dish provides a perfect counterpoint to warm, rich mains. For Asian-themed meals, serve it alongside fried rice, noodle dishes, or dumplings. It works equally well as a side at barbecues, picnics, or potluck gatherings where it remains fresh and delicious even if it sits for hours.

For a light lunch, this salad becomes a complete meal when paired with grilled tofu, edamame, and steamed rice. It’s refreshing enough for summer entertaining yet substantial enough to serve year-round. The brightness of the flavors particularly shines during warm months, though the salad is equally welcome at winter tables. Consider serving it as part of a Korean-inspired spread alongside other banchan (side dishes) for an authentic dining experience.

Storage Tips and Make-Ahead Ideas

This recipe is exceptionally practical for meal planning and advance preparation. You can prepare the dressing up to three days ahead, storing it in a covered container in your refrigerator. The sliced cucumbers, salted and rinsed, can also be prepared several hours before serving and stored in a sealed container. However, for the best texture and flavor, combine the cucumbers and dressing no more than 24 hours before serving.

When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the finished salad keeps for 2-3 days, though the cucumbers gradually soften slightly as they continue to release moisture. For entertaining purposes, prepare the components separately and combine them 30 minutes to an hour before serving for optimal crispness. This flexible timeline makes the recipe perfect whether you’re planning an impromptu dinner or preparing for scheduled entertaining.

Notes & Tips

Cucumber Selection: Mini cucumbers create the most visually appealing presentation, but regular cucumbers work well too. Choose firm, unblemished specimens for the best crunch. English or Persian cucumbers offer a thinner skin and fewer seeds, making them excellent alternatives.

Spice Level Adjustment: The amount of chili oil in this recipe creates a mild-to-medium heat level. For extra spice, add Korean red pepper flakes or increase chili oil by 1-2 teaspoons. For milder versions, reduce the chili oil to 1 teaspoon or omit it entirely.

Gluten-Free Substitution: Replace soy sauce with tamari, coconut aminos, or liquid amino acids for a gluten-free version that maintains the same savory depth.

Oil Quality Matters: Use high-quality sesame oil and chili oil when possible. These ingredients make up a significant portion of the dressing, so their quality directly impacts the final dish.

Equipment Considerations: While a spiralizer creates beautiful presentation, any sharp knife works perfectly well. If you don’t have a spiralizer, focus on slicing the cucumbers as thinly and uniformly as possible for even cooking and eating.

Make It Your Own: Don’t be afraid to adjust ingredients based on what you have available or your personal preferences. This recipe is forgiving and flexible, rewarding experimentation and personalization.

For more delicious recipes and cooking inspiration, visit Betty Cooks at https://www.bettycooks.com

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