Cucumber Kimchi (오이김치 Oi Kimchi) is the most delicious and refreshing summer Kimchi of all Kimchis.
The crunchy texture and the refreshing taste of cucumbers are perfectly preserved in this fabulous Korean Cucumber Kimchi that is Vegan and Gluten Free. Cucumber Kimchi is also one of those Kimchi’s that are rarely served at restaurants or sold at markets. Why? I am not totally sure but my guess is that Cucumber Kimchi doesn’t last as long as regular cabbage kimchi, it usually becomes mushy after few weeks and you really can’t eat it at that time. Also, once it sours, you can’t really repurpose it in jjigae or jeon like you can with cabbage kimchi.
I have been meaning to post a recipe but because again, my husband and my daughter are not big fans (but my daughter actually liked this recipe), it just naturally got pushed down the priority list. I think cucumber is one of those vegetables that you either love it or hate it.
Whenever I think people who don’t like cucumbers, I think of my sister #2 and her son #1. They both will NOT eat cucumber at all. Her son #1 (my nephew) hates cucumber so much that once when he was a child, my sister tried to make him eat my Korean potato salad with cucumbers and he ended up throwing up his whole meal!! 😱😰
After that, we never made him eat cucumber again… 😉
But if you love cucumbers and kimchi, you will LOVE this. And it’s really the simplest kimchi recipe to make with NO fermented sauces or flour pastes. You just have to make sure you buy the right kind of cucumbers and that they are properly pickled with the right kind of salt.
Don’t use common Garden Cucumbers that are waxed which is sold at regular grocery stores. And no, making kimchi with peeled cucumbers is not recommended. Korean cucumbers work best of course, but if you can’t find them, try Pickling or Japanese cucumbers that do not have big seeds in them. Also make sure they don’t have any bitter taste. English cucumbers may also work but sometimes they can be too big to work well.
A BIG THANK YOU to my friend Mrs. Woo! She makes a lot of delicious kimchi at her home and I asked her if she could help me by making them with me. Not only did she make these with me, she even went shopping for me!! I am so grateful for her friendship. This recipe was based on how she makes her cucumber kimchi by feel. We made 20 lbs in total, 3 different batches and I really like this version because it is extra refreshing since this recipe does NOT use Fish Sauce. I hope this recipe will find their way to her children someday so that they can make it at home when they grow up.
Now, let’s get started on pickling some cucumbers for our Cucumber Kimchi!
Cucumber Kimchi (Korean Oi Kimchi 오이김치) – Vegan and Gluten Free
Makes: 5 lb Prep Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 20 min Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 5 lb pickling cucumbers (Korean, Kirby, Persian, Pickling)
- 1/4 cup (60 g) Korean Solar Sea Salt (Cheonilyeom) with bittern removed
- 5 oz (150 g) chives, Korean or Chinese
- 4 -5 green onions, chopped
- Kimchi Seasoning (Yangnyeom)
- 6 Tbsp Korean red chili powder (gochukaru)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup garlic, chopped
- 2 tsp Korean Cheonilyeom
- Cut cucumber ends, and then into halves and then further cut each half horizontally to make pieces.
How to cut cucumbers for cucumber kimchi - In a large bowl, add the cut cucumbers and sprinkle 1/4 cup cheonilyeom salt. Toss cucumbers with your hands so that they are evenly coated with salt.
salting cucumbers for cucumber kimchi - Pickle for 3 hrs or until cucumbers have shriveled up. See the difference between fresh cucumbers (on the left) vs cucumbers salted after 3 hrs (on the right).
fresh vs salted cucumber after 3 hrs for kimchi - While cucumbers are pickling, prepare seasoning by cleaning and chopping chives, green onions and garlic.
cucumber kimchi chopped chives green onions ** Alternatively, you can cut chives and green onions into longer pieces like below –
cucumber kimchi yangyeom – chives, green onions, garlic, sugar, chili pepper powder - When cucumbers are pickled, drain cucumbers in a colander. DO NOT RINSE but just let excess liquid drain for few minutes.
salted cucumbers after 3 hrs for cucumber kimchi - In a large bowl, add the cucumber, chives, green onions, red chili powder, sugar, garlic and salt. Put plastic gloves on and mix everything gently.
cucumber kimchi seasoned cucumber kimchi 2 styles – chopped chives vs longer cuts - Transfer cucumbers to a container and leave at room temp for 24 to 36 hrs and then put in fridge. How long you ripen your kimchi at room temp depends on how quickly you want to eat it and keep it. If you want to eat it asap then leave it out 36 hrs or more until it tastes ripe. If you want to store it longer then, put it in the fridge after 24 hrs and let it ripen slowly in the fridge.
Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi)
Ingredients
Pickling Cucumber in Salt
- 5 lb pickling cucumbers (Korean, Kirby, Persian, Pickling)
- 60 g Korean Solar Sea Salt (Cheonilyeom) with bittern removed (60 gram = 1/4 cup)
Kimchi Seasoning (Yangnyeom)
- 150 g chives, Korean or Chinese (150 gram = 5 oz)
- 6 Tbsp Korean red chili powder (gochukaru)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 5 Tbsp garlic (chopped)
- 2 tsp Korean Sea Salt (Cheonilyeom)
- 4 green onions
Instructions
- Cut cucumber ends, and then into halves and then further cut each half horizontally to make 4 flat pieces.
- In a large bowl, add the cut cucumbers and sprinkle Korean sea salt. 1/4 cup per 5 lbs. Toss cucumbers with your hands so that they are evenly coated with salt. Pickle for 3 hrs or until cucumbers have shriveled up like so -
- While cucumbers are pickling, prepare seasoning by cleaning and chopping chives, green onions and garlic.
- When cucumbers are pickled, drain cucumbers in a colander. DO NOT RINSE but just let excess liquid drain for few minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the cucumber, chives, green onions, red chili powder, sugar, garlic and salt. Mix everything gently.
- Transfer cucumbers to a container and leave at room temp for 24 to 36 hrs and then put in fridge. How long you ripen your kimchi at room temp depends on how quickly you want to eat it and keep it. If you want to eat it asap then leave it out 36 hrs or more until it tastes ripe. If you want to store it longer then, put it in the fridge after 24 hrs and let it ripen slowly in the fridge.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
FAQ
What is the best type of cucumber for Kimchi?
Thin skinned, crunchy cucumbers with little or no seeds like Korean, Kirby pickling, Persian cucumbers work best. Thick skinned, waxed cucumbers are NOT good for Kimchi making. Here’s a post that explains all the different types of cucumbers.
How is this different from Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Sobaegi 오이 소박이)?
In terms of taste, it is probably not hugely different but this is lighter and fresher tasting. It is basically a simplified version of the traditional Oi Sobaegi where the cucumber is only cut partially in the center and then stuffing is added in.
Tips
- Serve this cold right from the fridge and you will LOVE it!! It would also be a very good FIRST KIMCHI to try if you are still new to eating Kimchi.
- Check my No Crazy Kimchi chart for more details on how to ripen Kimchi properly.
Happy Summer everyone!
XOXO ❤️ 🌿
JinJoo
How long do all the kimchis last? In the fridge after 24h of pickling. Thank you!! Loving the recipes 🙂
Well, it’s a bit different based on what vegetable you used. Cucumber Kimchi doesn’t last that long – probably a month or two at most. It will become mushy and sour. Kkakdugi will last 2-3 months or so. Baechu (cabbage) Kimchi will last for months, even years under the right circumstances.
Hello! This looks amazing & refreshing! Just wondering if i could use zucchini instead of cucumbers? thanks! 🙂
Hi, sorry but zucchini is just not going to work. It’s very different in terms of texture and flavor. Cucumber kimchi doesn’t even work well with American cucumbers for example because it becomes mushy. Hope you can find some good pickling cucumbers at least. Cheers!
I tried this cucumber kimchi, it is very delicious. Some changes I made: cut cucumber in circles, skipped chives (couldn’t find it here), used English seedless cucumbers. It has been 3 weeks and it just gets better every time I taste it. I use it in sandwiches, salads, and it is way better than store-bought cucumber pickles drowned in vinegar. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
You are so welcome! I’m so happy to hear it – thank you so much for sharing your feedback.
Hi, I’ve made this recipe with some adjustments. I’ve used the wrong kind of cucumbers and Himalayan salt. I live in a place where you can buy little to none Asian cuisine ingredients and gochjukaru was only a Korean item I could get.
I don’t know how this kimchi is supposed to taste. I’ve never been able to try any Korean dish but I think my is beyond salty.
I’ve done something wrong obviously but can you give me any tips to deal with wrong kinds of ingredients to still get something similar to yours or at list edible?
Hi Kamila, thank you for reaching out. This kimchi is supposed to taste not very salty and have a perfect balance of salty and sweetness. Once it ripens, it really tastes wonderful. Salt is very important in Kimchi making – not only should it be sea salt but it should also be ones with the bittern removed. Himalayan salt is much more salty per volume than Korean sea salt so that’s probably why it came out too salty for you. But even after that, it can come out bitter because the salt you used has bitterness in it still. Can you buy pickling salt? Most countries have pickles in their cuisine so try to find salt that people use to pickle. And even with that, you should reduce the salt amount quite a bit – can’t tell you how much exactly since I don’t know what salt you will be using but just sprinkle enough for the cucumbers to get pickled but it should never taste unpalatable and salty. Cucumbers – again, if you can find pickling cucumbers that will work best if you can’t get Korean cucumbers. Cucumbers that are not too thick and with skin that is not too tough. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Hi! I just made it. When I went to my favorite local Korean store (Kimchi Mart). I realized I wasn’t sure what bittern was and didn’t see it mentioned (in English) on the packaging, so I just bought the “No.1 Korean Sea Salt BaekSeon?”. Could you please share the Korean word(s) that the label would show to indicate “bittern removed”. I am learning to read Hanguel so I found Cheonilyeom 천일염okay 🙂
Great question. Usually, Korean sea salt 바다소금 that says is good for Kimchi 김치용 has the bittern removed. Bittern is 간수 Gansu in KOrean and it can say – 간수뺀 for bittern removed but I would say look for 3년 묶은 (aged 3 yrs) rather than 간수뺀. And I think you meant – Baekseol 백설? Anyway, hope that helps. You can also read more about salt on my post about salt and kimchi – https://kimchimari.com/best-salt-kimchi-12-salts/
So yummy