I don’t eat too many Korean dishes these days but sometimes, I need something spicy and familiar. Occasionally, I’ll get a jar of kimchi from the Asian grocery store in Fort Walton, but it’s an hour away so I’m SOL if I’m not heading out that way. Now, I’m a fan of trying to replicate dishes at home, but kimchi is incredibly time consuming and difficult to make. So what’s a girl to do when she gets a hankering for kimchi? I say, improvise and make Paleo-friendly cucumber kimchi salad!
Since soy is a big no-no on the Paleo diet, I used approved ingredients like coconut aminos and Red boat fish sauce to achieve the right taste. And I must say, I was pretty impressed with the results. It really didn’t taste like anything was missing. It was salty enough from the fish sauce without tasting fishy, and the coconut aminos provided a touch of sweetness which this dish definitely needed. The sesame oil and seeds added a nice depth of flavor to cut through the heat and saltiness. The crunch from the cucumbers adds a refreshing crispness to the this dish.
I hope you’re brave enough to give it a try! Spicy Korean sides can be a bit intimidating but this one is pretty flexible. You can add more coconut aminos and less red pepper powder to make it less spicy, or use half the amount of fish sauce for a milder taste. But I will say, Brandon liked it just as it was with no alterations. His exact words were: “You can make this again anytime you want.” It’s his way of saying that he really enjoyed it. It makes my heart swell with love and happiness! ?
If you’re not Paleo, feel free to use soy sauce and use regular fish sauce instead of Red Boat fish sauce. If you decide to substitute ingredients, make sure you read the recipe notes. This recipe is actually quite inexpensive if you have the right ingredients. It’s mainly cucumber with just a few spoonfuls of the required seasonings. If you’re Paleo, Red Boat fish sauce and coconut aminos should be staples in your kitchen so it’s well worth it if you don’t already own these and need to purchase it. The red pepper powder is great to spice up your soups and even potatoes. It can easily replace your traditional red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper powder.
Have you made this? Please let me know what you think! It does require some special ingredients that you may not have readily available, but it’s worth it if you’re the adventurous sort who likes stepping outside of the box. Enjoy!
P.S. Looking for the ingredients? Amazon carries all the ingredients you need for this recipe.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 5 minutes |
| Passive Time |
| 1 hour |
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Traditional cucumber kimchi requires soy sauce; this recipe omits it in favor of coconut aminos and fish sauce, making it soy free and Paleo friendly. It's a tasty side that can be made in minutes! Not Paleo? See recipe notes for more common substitutions.
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- 1 large Cucumber
- 2 Scallions (White and green parts)
- 1/2 Small Onion
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp Fish sauce
- 2 Tsp Red pepper powder (Gochugaru - Korean)
- 2 Tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
- Prepare the vegetables: slice cucumber in half lengthwise, the slice into thin half moons about 1/8" to 1/4". Cut onion in half and slice thinly. Cut scallions on a diagonal into 1/4" pieces, both white and green parts.
- Throw veggies into a medium container with a lid. Add all dry and wet seasonings. Give it a good stir, then close the lid and shake well to combine all the flavors.
- Refrigerate for an hour or longer so the flavors will meld together. Give it another shake before serving. Sprinkle on more sesame seeds as garnish so it looks festive and pretty.
Substitutions: This recipe was made to be Paleo, using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. If you decide to use soy sauce, skip the fish sauce and use just 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Coconut aminos is much more mild and less salty in flavor than soy sauce, so you don't really need the fish sauce if using soy. You'll want to add about 1/2 to 1 tsp of white sugar since soy sauce doesn't have a sweet flavor like coconut aminos. If you can't find Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru), you can use regular red pepper flakes. Give it a quick grind in a coffee or spice grinder to break it down a bit. However, it won't be as tasty or authentic as the real thing! I would recommend you get the gochugaru. It's really tasty in lots of other recipes.
Red Boat Fish Sauce: You can use any fish sauce for this recipe but Red Boat comes very highly recommended by the Paleo community because it's minimally processed and uses just a few ingredients without all the added preservatives, coloring, and other baddies.