Try this cucumber kimchi recipe that is not spicy! A perfect option for delicious fermented cucumbers filled with good for you probiotics. These are so good and a good way to use having an abundance of summer cucumbers from your garden!
Our white cucumber kimchi recipe
If left to age, these have a similar taste to pickles but are naturally fermented to have a sour bite without the use of any vinegar! So instead of having vinegar-filled cucumbers, you’re actually getting some good probiotics via the fermentation process. These are perfect for anyone who prefers non-spicy foods also!
All ingredients, with the exception of one ingredient, should be easily found at even the large, chain-type grocery stores. The one ingredient you may need to go to a local Asian market for is the brined/salted shrimp. This really gives that ‘oomph’ of flavor that kimchi is known for. We highly suggest taking the time to get this ingredient if you don’t already have it. Plus, once you have a jar of it, it lasts for a long time. Since the shrimp is salted, it basically has a lifetime shelf life when in the fridge. Maybe not a lifetime, but a really long time. Plus, you’ll be able to use the salted/brined shrimp in other recipes. Here are some examples of what you can use the jar of salted/ brined shrimp for:
What to serve with white cucumber kimchi
We can eat these plain right out of the jar, just as you would pickles. We also love eating this with freshly steamed rice alongside a variety of other side dishes plus a protein main dish. Below are some ideas we will leave if you’d like a few more side dishes and ideas for a protein source.
More side dish (banchan) recipes to try
- Easy Napa Cabbage Korean Kimchi – Cut-Up Kimchi
- Korean Stir-fried Spicy Fish Cakes
- Korean-style Stir-Fried Eggplant (Gaji Bokkeum)
Protein-based recipes to try
Storing this cucumber kimchi
This cucumber kimchi can be eaten fresh immediately after making it. However, we love when it’s able to age and starts to turn a bit sour from the fermentation process. If wanting to store this long-term, store it in glass jars for freshness. We recommend stuffing the jar as much as possible but leave about an inch or so in the jar of free space to allow for the gasses to build up from fermentation. Otherwise, you could have exploding jars. Properly stored, this white cucumber kimchi should stay good for about 3 months in the refrigerator.
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White Cucumber Kimchi
Try this cucumber kimchi recipe that is not spicy! A perfect option for delicious fermented cucumbers filled with good for you probiotics.
Ingredients
- 10 pickling cucumbers, cut into spears
- ¼ cup iodine salt
- ½ cup carrot, julienned
- ½ cup yellow onion, sliced thin
- ¼ cup Korean chives (buchu), chopped about 2” length
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, cut into strips (large enough you can pick it out if you don’t want to eat it)
For the white kimchi sauce:
- 8 garlic cloves (about 2 Tbsp)
- 1 Tbsp brined/salted shrimp
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Sprinkle all of the salt all over the cucumber spears, carrots, and sliced onion in a large bowl. Let it soak in the salt for about 6 hours. Halfway through turn over the cucumbers - move the bottom cucumbers to the top and vice versa.
- After the 6 hours is up, put about ¼ cup of the excess liquid plus the rest of the ingredients for the white kimchi sauce into the blender. (KEEP THE REST OF THE LIQUID - Do not drain!) Blend until smooth.
- Mix everything together well, along with the rest of the salty brining liquid. Store in glass jars or airtight containers. Enjoy!
Notes
Eat fresh, or you can wait until it ferments and turns sour!
Keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months - it tastes great even when it ferments and turns sour!
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