Quick and Easy Cucumber Kimchi (Spicy, Crunchy and Incredible!)

Making homemade cucumber kimchi is incredibly quick and easy. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll have some jars done in 10 minutes or less!

What Is Kimchi?

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish that usually consists of fermented and salted veggies and a variety of different spices or seasonings.

Some of the more common ingredients used for making kimchi include napa cabbage, Korean radish, and in the case of this particular recipe, cucumber. As far as the seasonings go, the sky is pretty much the limit and everyone tends to have their own preferred way of making kimchi.

How to Make Cucumber Kimchi

• Prepare your ingredients. Mince the garlic cloves. Grate the fresh ginger. Cut the scallions into one-inch pieces. Cut the cucumbers into spears.
• Combine the ingredients. Add the cucumber spears, sea salt, Korean chili powder, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic cloves, scallions, and soy sauce into a large bowl. Toss to combine.
• Transfer to jars. Divide the cucumber mixture between your jars. Pour water in each jar and then cover tightly.
• Let sit. Leave the jar to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours.
• Refrigerate. After 24 hours has passed, store the kimchi in the fridge for at least 3-4 days before serving.

Other Vegetables You Can Make Kimchi With

Making homemade kimchi is great because it gives you the option to be a little bit flexible when it comes to what veggies that you use to make it. Here are a few other great options that you can use to make kimchi.

• Napa cabbage
• Korean radish
• Daikon radish
• Zucchini

The Top 5 Health Benefits of Kimchi

One of the biggest reasons why kimchi is so popular (aside from the fact it tastes incredible that is) is because it’s so good for you. Here are 3 of the top health benefits you can get from eating kimchi.

1. Improved gut health. Fermented foods like kimchi are excellent sources of probiotics. These help to balance out the friendly bacteria that populate your gut ecosystem.
2. Boosted immune system. Along with improving your overall gut health, studies have also shown that probiotics can strengthen the immune system. (1)
3. Prevents diseases like cancer. Kimchi is typically made from a variety of ingredients that are known for their antioxidant content. Vegetables like cabbage, cucumber, carrots, and more are rich in antioxidants and polyphenols that have been found to help prevent diseases.
4. Heals inflammation in the body. Kimchi is also great for relieving chronic inflammation within the body, which can help prevent the development of chronic diseases. (2)
5. Helps keep cholesterol under control. Fermented foods and probiotics have also been found to help with lowering the ‘bad’ type of LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream. (3)

(You may also like: Homemade Pickled Green Tomatoes)

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3 Must-Try Recipes Made With Cucumbers

Cucumbers are one of the more versatile veggies around when it comes to cooking healthy homemade recipes. With that in mind, here are three different recipes that show off a few fantastic other uses of cucumber.

• Thin Shaved Japanese Cucumber Salad with Soy, VInegar and Sesame Seeds – Make your own tasty Japanese inspired cucumber salad with this flavorful version of the Asian classic.
• Homemade Cucumber Vodka Soda with Fresh Lime and Raw Honey – This is the perfect recipe for mixing up a homemade cocktail to relax and unwind with at the end of a long day.
• Crisp and Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad with Fresh Herbs and Onion – I can’t remember the last time I had a salad that packed as much flavor as this one, and it’s so deliciously creamy thanks to the avocado.