Crispy Soy-Pickled Cucumbers
Super Simple Soy-Pickled Cucumbers: No-Cook Recipe Ready in One Day!
Introducing a summer delicacy, a must-have side dish to complement your rice: Soy-Pickled Cucumbers! This recipe is incredibly simple, requiring no cooking, and is ready to be enjoyed in just one day. Using plump cucumbers, you can create a side dish with a delightful crunchy texture and a perfectly balanced sweet, sour, and salty flavor. Perfect for hot and humid summer days when you want to avoid cooking over a stove. Make a generous batch of 20 cucumbers to enjoy for a long time. Measurements are based on standard measuring spoons (1 Tbsp = 15ml, 1 tsp = 5ml).
Pickle Ingredients- 20 cucumbers
- 1 cup coarse salt (sea salt, approx. 150g)
- A pinch of baking soda (for washing cucumbers)
Brine (Soy Sauce Mixture)- 4 cups soy sauce (600ml)
- 2 cups vinegar (300ml)
- 2 cups sugar (300g)
- 2 cups soju (or cooking wine) (300ml)
- 1 large onion
- 10 Korean green chili peppers (or regular green chilies)
- 20g dried red chilies (e.g., bird’s eye chili) (optional, adjust for spiciness)
- 4 cups soy sauce (600ml)
- 2 cups vinegar (300ml)
- 2 cups sugar (300g)
- 2 cups soju (or cooking wine) (300ml)
- 1 large onion
- 10 Korean green chili peppers (or regular green chilies)
- 20g dried red chilies (e.g., bird’s eye chili) (optional, adjust for spiciness)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Lightly sprinkle baking soda onto the fresh cucumbers and gently rub to clean them. Rinse thoroughly under running water and pat them completely dry.
Step 2
Keeping about 3cm of the stem end intact, cut each cucumber lengthwise into 4 equal strips. Be careful not to cut all the way to the end.
Step 3
Arrange the prepared cucumber strips neatly in a pot or a wide bowl.
Step 4
Evenly sprinkle the coarse salt over the cucumbers. Let them pickle for about 2-3 hours, or until they are slightly pliable and can bend without breaking. It’s helpful to gently toss them once during this time for even pickling.
Step 5
Prepare a clothes hanger for drying the cucumbers. Cover the hanger with plastic wrap for a hygienic surface. (Alternatively, you can use a drying rack.)
Step 6
After pickling for 2-3 hours, rinse the cucumbers under cold running water two or three times to remove excess salt. Gently shake off the excess water. Avoid squeezing them too hard.
Step 7
Hang the pickled cucumbers on the prepared clothes hanger, leaving some space between them. Dry them in a shady, well-ventilated area for one full day until they become slightly leathery and chewy.
Step 8
Check if the cucumbers are dried properly by gently bending one. It should bend without breaking and feel pleasantly firm and slightly chewy.
Step 9
You can use the dried cucumbers as they are, or cut them into bite-sized pieces (about 3-4 cm long). Place the cut cucumbers into a sterilized glass jar or an airtight container.
Step 10
Slice the onion into large pieces. Trim the stems off the Korean green chilies and cut them in half. (If you prefer more spice, use regular green chilies.) Add dried red chilies for an extra kick. Scatter the prepared vegetables over the cucumbers in the container.
Step 11
In a bowl, combine 4 cups soy sauce, 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups sugar, and 2 cups soju (or cooking wine). Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Since we’re not boiling the brine, ensure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. (Using cooking wine instead of soju will add a touch of sweetness and aroma.)
Step 12
Pour the prepared brine over the ingredients in the container, ensuring the cucumbers and vegetables are submerged. Your no-cook soy-pickled cucumbers are now complete!
Step 13
Here’s a photo taken right after adding the brine, and another taken the day after. After just one day, the flavors have already infused beautifully, making them ready to eat! This delicious side dish will likely be reached for before any other.
Step 14
Adding onions, Korean green chilies, and dried red chilies to your soy-pickled cucumbers makes them more enjoyable to eat, as the flavors meld together. Even using Korean green chilies provides a wonderfully infused taste.
Step 15
The satisfying ‘snap’ and chewy-yet-crisp texture are incredibly appealing. Don’t worry if the cucumbers have many seeds right now; they’ll still make for delicious pickles throughout the summer.
Step 16
This is a super simple recipe for pickled cucumbers that you can enjoy just one day after making. Try making a small batch (about 5 cucumbers) first. If you love the taste, you’ll want to make a larger batch next time! Enjoy making these delicious, long-lasting soy-pickled cucumbers.
