Crispy Pickled Cucumber Salad with Perilla Oil
Crispy Pickled Cucumber Salad with Perilla Oil
A delightful and crunchy pickled cucumber salad made with young cucumbers and flavorful perilla oil
Transform fresh young cucumbers from your garden into a refreshing salad! These cucumbers are packed with moisture, making them perfect for a summer treat. They are also said to help eliminate waste products from the body, so feel free to enjoy them generously. Experience the delightful nutty aroma of perilla oil combined with the satisfying crunch of this young cucumber salad!
Ingredients- 1 young cucumber (Nokak)
- 1 Tbsp coarse salt (for salting)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1/2 stalk green onion or white part of leek
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp perilla oil (deulgireum)
- 1 red chili pepper (optional)
- Sesame seeds, a pinch
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The young cucumbers we’re using today might differ slightly from typical ones, but their inherent crispiness makes them even more delicious when prepared as a salad.
Step 2
First, use a peeler to carefully remove the skin from the young cucumber. Their skin can be quite thick, so make sure to peel it thoroughly.
Step 3
Since the young cucumbers are quite long, cut them into three pieces to make them easier to handle during preparation.
Step 4
When slicing the cucumber pieces, it’s best to leave the core with the seeds relatively thick. Avoid removing too much of the seedy part, as this can make the cucumber mushy. Cutting them thickly helps preserve their crisp texture.
Step 5
After cutting them lengthwise and removing the seedy cores, we’re now ready to julienne the cucumbers.
Step 6
Julienne the young cucumbers into thick strips. Cutting them too thinly can cause them to become watery quickly, so maintaining a thicker cut is crucial for maximizing their crispness.
Step 7
Add 1 tablespoon of coarse salt to the julienned cucumbers and mix well. Let them salt for about 10 minutes. This salting process draws out excess moisture, maintaining their crunchiness and allowing them to absorb flavor.
Step 8
While the cucumbers are salting, prepare the other ingredients. Finely slice the red chili pepper (removing seeds if desired) and thinly slice the green onion or leek. Having these ready in advance makes the mixing process much smoother.
Step 9
Once the cucumbers are salted, rinse them lightly under running water and then gently squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands. Be careful not to squeeze too hard, as this can break the cucumber pieces. Place the squeezed cucumbers in a bowl and add all the prepared seasonings.
Step 10
Finally, add 1 tablespoon of perilla oil generously and gently mix everything together with your hands until well combined. You can add a little bit of gochujang if you like, but today we’re making a delicious seasoning using just gochugaru. You likely won’t need to add extra salt because the cucumbers will have absorbed some saltiness during the salting process, making the overall seasoning just right. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for an extra nutty aroma, and your delicious young cucumber salad is complete!
