This super quick recipe for homemade pickles transforms fresh cucumbers into a tangy and refreshing side dish. These quick cucumber pickles delight with Japanese-inspired flavours and just a few simple ingredients.
Table of Contents
In Japanese cuisine, pickles are known as "Tsukemono" and are an essential accompaniment to many dishes.
They cleanse the palate and can contribute elements of colour, crunch, and tanginess which can balance a meal. Just think of the pickled ginger that goes with sushi!
We love to serve these Japanese inspired cucumber pickles with our Vegan Katsu Curry, where the crispness of the cucumber and refreshing sourness of the pickling brine, really brings the dish to life!
This is a quick pickle recipe so it doesn't require any special equipment or take a long time like traditional pickles.
It's just a small batch as they're designed to be eaten within a week and stored in the fridge.
Ingredient tips
What kind of cucumbers is best? For this recipe, you want to choose a seedless or almost seedless variety with a thin skin.
We use English cucumbers as they are most commonly available to us. Other smaller varieties such as Persian cucumbers and Japanese cucumbers are a good option and will produce a less watery pickle.
Half an English cucumber weighs around 150-200g and is roughly equivalent to 1 Persian cucumber or 1 ¼ cups sliced.
You will also need:
- spring onion or scallion
- rice vinegar - this is a relatively mild type of vinegar which creates a refreshing taste
- sugar - we use organic sugar
- salt
- and ginger - this adds a fiery kick to the finished pickle
Step by step
Here's a visual guide to making quick pickled cucumber in a few easy steps! You'll find the full, adjustable and printable recipe at the end of the post.
Step 1 - Cut the cucumber into very thin slices. Large cucumbers can be cut lengthways in half before slicing.
Step 2 - Slice the spring onions/scallions and finely grate the ginger.
Step 3 - In a mixing bowl, combine the cucumbers, spring onions and ginger, and sprinkle on the rice vinegar, sugar and salt.
Step 4 - Stir to combine and let marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Variations and substitutions
For some heat, you can add some red pepper flakes.
We have not tested this recipe with other kinds of vinegar, but if you can't get rice vinegar, then apple cider vinegar or a vegan white wine vinegar would be a possible substitute.
You can add an extra ½ tsp sugar to the recipe to compensate for the lower level of sweetness of these kinds of vinegar.
If you already have some pickled ginger, like the one you have with sushi, you can replace the fresh ginger and add as much pickled ginger as you like to taste.
Serving
For a striking garnish, you can add some black or white sesame seeds.
This pickle is perfect as an accompaniment to Japanese curries and other dishes.
You can also enjoy this recipe as a fresh cucumber salad alongside our Crispy Baked Tofu and rice for a delicious summer meal.
Storage
Keep in the fridge in a jar or airtight container and use within one week.
More delicious summer recipes
Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho - A refreshing chilled soup perfect for hot days
Vegan Basil Pesto - Rich and delicious for summer pastas and salads
Vegan Tzatziki - A great way to use up more cucumber!
📖 Recipe
Quick Pickled Cucumber (Japanese Inspired)
Ingredients
- ½ large cucumber (1¼ cups sliced)
- 1 spring onion scallion, optional
- 1 tsp grated ginger or 1 tbsp pickled ginger
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthsways and slice very thinly.½ large cucumber
- Dice the spring onion.1 spring onion
- In a bowl, combine and stir together the sliced cucumber, diced spring onion, grated ginger, rice vinegar, sugar and salt.1 tsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp salt
- Let the pickle marinate for 15 minutes before serving.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Notes
Types of cucumber
For this recipe, you want to choose a seedless or almost seedless variety with a thin skin. We use English cucumbers as they are most commonly available to us. Other smaller varieties such as Persian cucumbers and Japanese cucumbers are a good option and will produce a less watery pickle. Half an English cucumber weighs around 150-200g and is roughly equivalent to 1 Persian cucumber or 1 ¼ cups sliced.Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
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