This accordion cucumber salad is so refreshing, savory, slightly spicy and so addictingly crunchy! It’s the perfect side dish to serve with bolder flavors or have as a healthy snack.
The cucumbers are cut in an ‘accordion’ style and they are so dang fun to eat! For this recipe, I would use Persian cucumbers; they are a perfect size and super crunchy in texture. You can usually find them in bulk at Costco or at any other grocery store.
What makes this accordion cucumber salad different?
The dressing used in the recipe is savory, refreshing, and mild enough to eat as a meal or as a complimentary side dish. AND of course, the slinky-like cucumbers are fun to eat and serve.
What can I serve with this dish?
This type of dish is usually served as banchan 반찬 along with several other side dishes and a bowl of hot cooked rice in Korean cuisine. The variety of banchan depends on seasonal ingredients or what the main course is.
You can serve this accordion cucumber salad with Crispy Seaweed-Wrapped Tofu, Mini Kimchi Pancake (Kimchi Jeon), or Dumplings with a crispy skirt, and a bowl of cooked rice!
Video Tutorial
Other recipes you may like:
- Kimchi Cheese Quesadilla
- Pizza Toast
- Turkish-style Eggs with Gochugaru Chili Butter and Garlic Yogurt
- One-Pan Shrimp Fried Rice
- Crispy Seaweed-Wrapped Tofu
Ingredients
- 6-8 Persian cucumbers, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 1½ tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- ¼ cup Onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon Red chili peppers, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, vinegar, chopped red chili peppers, and diced onion. Mix to combine. Set it aside.
- On a cutting board, place a cucumber parallel between two chopsticks. Using a knife, start slicing in a diagonal direction about ⅛ of an inch between each slice from top to bottom. Make sure not to cut all the way through the cucumber, but only about ¾ of the way through (the chopsticks should act as a barrier and help with this!). Repeat with the remaining cucumbers. Once done, the cucumbers should be slinky-like!
- Transfer the cut cucumbers to a bowl and generously sprinkle a handful of salt. Let them sit on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes. (The salt brings out some of the water from the cucumbers, making them more flexible)
- Rinse the salted cucumbers with cold water and drain. Transfer the rinsed cucumbers to a bowl and add the dressing we made earlier. Mix to combine and enjoy!
