Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi)

Cucumber kimchi is a crisp, refreshing Korean side dish. Pair this with all your favorite summer dishes for a spicy and savory flavor pairing.

It’s summer again, meaning it’s the perfect time for all of us to cool down with some refreshing meals and snacks.

Around this time is when my family would usually crave things like watermelon, cantaloupes, mangoes, and cucumbers. Basically anything cool and juicy.

I love making batches of kimchi every couple months or so, and these oi kimchi have been an absolute hit every time with my family and friends.

It’s spicy, umami, and incredibly refreshing. I love the crunch of the cucumbers, especially when it’s paired with barbecue, or even just a bowl of warm rice!

Cucumber Kimchi

One of the many things that I admire about Korean cuisine are the wide varieties of Kimchi that can be made with different seasonings and vegetables.

Cucumber kimchi, for instance, can be differentiated as either oi kimchi or oi sobagi (stuffed cucumber kimchi).

For this recipe, we won’t be stuffing the cucumbers, only tossing them in the seasoning paste.

While this is a quicker, more convenient version, this recipe can also work for either methods. Feel free to stuff the cucumbers with the carrots, chives, and paste mixture if you’d prefer.

Ingredients (and substitutions!)

Cucumbers: Go for Korean cucumbers if available in your area. They should most likely be sold in most Korean groceries. Otherwise, you can use any firm, crisp cucumber variety such as Japanese, Kirby, English, or Persian.

Coarse sea salt: Cucumbers are made up of around 96% water! Salting them beforehand helps to remove excess water so that the kimchi can stay crisp for longer.

Some recipes will have you rinse the cucumbers prior to fermenting, but you don’t need to for this recipe. Simply drain the liquids and the salt absorbed by the cucumbers will be accounted for.

• Substitute: You can replace coarse sea salt with equal amounts of coarse Kosher salt. If using table salt, I’d recommend only using half the amount of the salt listed in the recipe as the size/shape of the salt granules tend to be smaller (therefore, saltier).

Carrots: Carrots add a bit of extra crunch to the kimchi. Some Korean recipes prefer to leave this ingredient out entirely, so you may keep it or omit to your preference.

Garlic chives: These look like green onions, though with a sharp, mellow, spicy garlic taste when eaten raw. Similar to the carrots, you may also leave this out if you prefer or if it’s not available in your area. This simply adds some extra texture and complexity to the flavor of our kimchi.

• Substitute: While not exactly the same in terms of flavor, you may use green onions as a quick replacement.

Gochugaru: This is a spicy Korean chili powder, similar to crushed red pepper flakes. You can purchase this in almost all Korean groceries and in some Asian supermarkets.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce helps to boost all the umami and savory notes of our kimchi. It also provides the needed salt to facilitate the fermentation of the cucumbers.

Apple, onion, garlic, ginger: These will form the basis of our Kimchi paste to give it that mellow sweetness, aroma, and mild pungency. Throw these into a blender or grate them into a fine paste to extract as much flavor as possible.

Sugar: Sugar helps to balance out all the salty and savory flavors of the kimchi while also aiding with fermentation. Some traditional recipes won’t actually contain sugar, as the apples and vegetables already have the necessary sugar required -I just added this because I think it tastes great.

• Substitute: You can use any sweetener in place of white sugar, just avoid anything overly-flavoured like maple syrup. You can also simply omit this ingredient entirely, and compensate with a bit more extra grated apple to account for the loss of sweetness.

Instructions

Cut off the ends of each cucumber. Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise, then cut them into 2-inch long pieces.

Transfer the cucumber pieces to a large bowl. Sprinkle in the sea salt and toss to ensure the cucumbers are evenly covered with the salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the kimchi paste. Combine together all the ingredients and mix until smooth.

After 30 minutes, drain out the liquid released by the cucumbers -do not rinse the cucumbers.

Add in the carrots, garlic chives, and the kimchi paste. With clean gloves, toss all the ingredients together until the paste has evenly coated all the vegetables.

Transfer the cucumber kimchi to an airtight container. You can serve the kimchi right away, or let it sit at room temperature for about 15 hours to speed up the fermentation process and transfer to the fridge.

How long is Cucumber Kimchi good for?

Depending on where you live, kimchi at room temperature would typically last for about 1 week. Warmer temperatures aid in speeding up the fermentation process (leading to a more sour taste), but it can also accelerate spoilage if not watched carefully.

In the fridge, kimchi can last for up 2-3 weeks. Fermentation in the fridge is slower and can reduce chances of early spoilage.

I love the taste of fresh kimchi, so I immediately refrigerate my batches as soon as I make them and I slowly enjoy the gradual taste of sourness as the cucumbers ferment over time! Others may prefer their kimchi already sour, and so you can choose to let it sit for a couple hours at room temperature and then move it to the fridge to lengthen its shelf life.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I replace gochugaru with gochujang?

In short, yes. The long answer is that while gochujang and gochugaru do normally come from the same chili, it isn’t typically used for kimchi as gochujang already comes pre-seasoned which can affect the kimchi taste entirely.

If you live in an area where you really cannot find gochugaru, I’d say using the paste is fine and it would still taste great.

Can this be made vegan?

Yes! Simply omit the fish sauce and/or substitute it with equal amounts of coarse Kosher salt to make this vegan-friendly!

How do I serve this?

You can serve this as a side dish, accompanying other Korean dishes such as Korean barbecue (my favorite).

Otherwise, you can 100% make the cucumbers the star of the show by simply eating it with steamed rice or on its own!

How do I properly store kimchi?

You can keep the kimchi at room temperature for up to 1 week stored in an airtight container. While this is the fastest method of fermentation (especially in warmer climates), this also increases risk for spoilage, so be sure to check on the Kimchi frequently for signs of it going bad.

I personally like to keep my kimchi in the fridge, which can lengthen its life for up to 2-3 weeks!

Looking for more tasty side dishes? Here’s a couple that you might love:

• Honey Garlic Potatoes
• Atchara (Filipino Pickled Papaya Salad)
• Seared Peanut Bokchoy
• Filipino Roasted Kabocha Soup