Quick Cucumber Tsukemono
Crunchy salt-pickled cucumber with kombu and chili.
Ingredients
- 3 Cucumber
- 1 Kombu (dried kelp)
- 1 Dried chilies
- 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Thinly slice the cucumber and shred the kombu and chili.
- Toss the cucumber, kombu, and chili with the salt, sugar, and rice vinegar until evenly coated.
- Rest until the cucumber releases its water and softens, about 15 minutes.
- Squeeze the cucumber lightly to drain, then serve cold.
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About Quick Cucumber Tsukemono
Tsukemono are Japan's pickles — the small, sharp dishes that punctuate almost every traditional meal — and this quick cucumber version, closer to a sokuseki-zuke or instant pickle, delivers that clean, crunchy bite in about half an hour rather than days. Thinly sliced cucumber is salted and dressed with rice vinegar, a little sugar, shredded kombu, and dried chili, then left to rest until it slumps and releases its water. The kombu quietly adds glutamate-rich umami while the chili lends a faint heat, keeping the whole thing light and savory rather than merely sour.
The result is refreshing and almost weightless — crisp, cold, tart, and just barely sweet, with a briny depth from the kelp. Salting the cucumber first is the key step: it draws out excess water so the slices firm up and concentrate rather than turning limp, and a light squeeze before serving keeps them crunchy. On the Japanese table, tsukemono like this act as a palate cleanser and a textural counterpoint to rice, grilled fish, or a rich main. Low in calories and carbohydrates and vegan by nature, it is the kind of small side that quietly makes the rest of the meal taste better.
Quick Cucumber Tsukemono: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Quick Cucumber Tsukemono?
A serving has about 50 calories — 1.6g protein, 11.9g carbs, 0.3g fat, 1.3g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Quick Cucumber Tsukemono gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Quick Cucumber Tsukemono has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Quick Cucumber Tsukemono take to make?
About 25 minutes start to finish, but only around 8 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Quick Cucumber Tsukemono make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.