Fragrant Wild Chive and Cucumber Salad
Fragrant Wild Chive and Cucumber Salad
A Refreshing Spring Vegetable Salad Bursting with Flavor
We’ve combined the delicate, aromatic wild chives, a spring delicacy, with crisp cucumbers to create a delightfully refreshing salad. This dish features the slightly pungent flavor of wild chives and the satisfying crunch of cucumbers, guaranteed to awaken your appetite. In these times when many are feeling under the weather… feeling unmotivated, lethargic, and just wanting to lie down… it’s a familiar feeling, isn’t it? This wild chive and cucumber salad gives me a happy premonition that your appetite will return!
Main Ingredients- 1 bunch fresh wild chives (dallae)
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 onion
- 1 teaspoon salt (for salting cucumbers)
- 1/2 green onion
Seasoning- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (sesame seeds, crushed)
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (sesame seeds, crushed)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Gently wash the wild chives under cold running water, trimming any roots or damaged parts. Rinse thoroughly to remove any soil. If the chives are long, cut them into bite-sized pieces, about 5cm (2 inches) long. The root part has a wonderful pungent flavor, so just clean it up slightly if it looks dirty.
Step 2
Wash the cucumber and slice it thinly on the diagonal. Slice the onion thinly into matchsticks. Chop the green onion finely. Mince the garlic. (If you don’t have pre-minced garlic, you can finely chop fresh garlic after crushing it slightly with the side of your knife for a more intense aroma).
Step 3
Place the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat evenly and let them sit for about 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. After salting, lightly rinse the cucumbers under cold water, squeeze out any remaining water, and pat them dry with paper towels. This step ensures the salad won’t be watery.
Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared wild chives, drained cucumbers, sliced onions, and chopped green onions. Now, let’s prepare the seasoning. In a small bowl, mix together all the seasoning ingredients: 1 Tbsp gochujang, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp plum extract, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Stir until well combined.
Step 5
Pour the prepared seasoning mixture over the vegetables in the large bowl. Gently toss everything together, being careful not to crush the delicate wild chives. The key is to mix lightly so the chives maintain their texture and fresh flavor. Finally, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for extra aroma and nutty flavor. This delightful salad is now ready to serve!
