Cucumber Asian Salad

This Spicy Korean Pickled Cucumber appetizer with sesame oil is crunchy, spicy, and is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The key to pickling is the vinegar. Balsamic vinegar gives this asian pickled cucumber more depth in flavor. 

The key to making this korean side dish delicious is to make sure you dry the cucumbers after salting it. If you don’t pat it down dry, the water drawn from the cucumbers will dilute the flavor of the dressing. Omitting the sugar makes this asian pickled cucumber appetizer keto diet friendly. 

The asian cucumber salad combined with sesame oil forms this fragrant tones of sesame flavor. I love this asian cucumber side dish as a snack to have in the fridge. Because these cucumbers are pickled, they can be left in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and can still taste great. This Asian cucumber pickle recipe is  perfect for those that want something satisfying, flavorful, without feeling overly indulgent. I love this recipe and I hope you do too!

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• ½  tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp sugar
• Optional: 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

1. Cut off both ends of cucumber and discard. Shave the sides of the cucumber sparingly. 
2. Slice cucumber about 2 mm and place in a mixing bowl. Add ¼ tsp of salt and mix well. Wait 5-10 minutes for salt to draw the moisture from cucumbers. 
3. In another bowl, combine fish sauce, water, vinegar, pepper flakes, and sugar. 
4. Optional: Add sesame oil as an option. 
5. After 10 minutes, use a paper towel to thoroughly pat the cucumbers dry. Then, pour sauce mixture in with cucumbers, mix and serve. 
6. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

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