Skip to Content

Quick and Easy Pickled Cucumber Ribbons

Quick pickled cucumber ribbons are a gloriously simple and quick side that works wonderfully with Asian style roasted meats or fried dishes.

The dish is all done and dusted in around 20-25 minutes and for 15 of that you are letting the pickle do its “thing”.

Portrait image of quick pickled cucumber ribbons served in a white bowl

Homemade Quick Pickles

Most of my foods that I am infatuated with I have loved for a very long time. Pickles are different and became one of my main foodie squeezes after my move to Hungary.

Of course, growing up in the UK I was exposed to pickled vegetables. Onions, beetroot and eggs were all really common, pickled cucumber, not so much!

They were things served on the side of a ploughman’s lunch.

Here in Hungary, they are served with everything!

You will see people with countless bowls of pickles on their table. It does not matter if they are tucking into goulash or chicken paprikash.

Since I arrived in 2008 I have not been into a single Hungarian restaurant that does not have them on the menu.

Pickles here tend to be “fermented” rather than quick pickled like this cucumber recipe.

Like my quick pickled daikon, these have a “Chinese” lean to the pickle rather than a European slant.

Overhead salt and pepper tofu with a chilli soy dipping sauce and pickled cucumber.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to remove the cucumber seeds?

The key to this recipe is to remove the seeds because they are loaded with water. Leaving them in the cucumber dilutes the pickled flavour.

Can I leave them to pickle for longer than 15 minutes?

They will be good to eat after 15 minutes and will last for up to 2 hours but after that they go a bit soft and squidgy.

The longer you leave them the more pronounced the pickle flavour becomes.

Will these pickles save?

No, as with all quick pickle recipes, this dish does not pickle in the curing or preserving sense.

This dish is designed to impart a pickle flavour to vegetables quickly, so eat them all up because they will not store!

Can I cut the cucumber with a knife?

Yes, you just need to take your time because you need both thinly sliced cucumber but it also needs to be uniform in its thickness.

Portrait close up image of sliced crispy roast Chinese pork belly served with rice and pickled cucumbers served on a white plate

Serving Suggestions

I serve pickles with so many dishes. Whether it is as a side to something rich like the crispy Chinese-inspired pork belly pictured above or just added to the top of a burger, I love em.

They are also great at cutting through sweetness and they would be just as good with my teriyaki salmon.

They perform just as well at offering a silky smooth sharpness against crisp fried foods like salt and pepper squid and salt and pepper tofu (pictured further up the page).

You don’t have to look east either, I’ve served this with my a Plish pork schnitzel called kotlet schabowy too.

Landscape image of quick pickled cucumber ribbons served in a white bowl

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Mixing bowl.
  • Vegetable peeler or mandolin.
  • Teaspoon.
  • Whisk.
  • Measuring jug and or cups and spoons.
Square image of quick pickled cucumber ribbons served in a white bowl
Yield: 2 Servings

Quick Pickled Cucumber Ribbons Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

These quick and simple pickled cucumber ribbons have a bit of an Asian influence but they are delicious served with so many dishes!

Ingredients

  • 1 Cucumber
  • 125ml (½ Cup) Water
  • 75ml (⅓ Cup) Rice Wine
  • 25ml (1 Tbsp + 2 Tsp) White Vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Salt

Instructions

  1. Add the water, rice wine, white vinegar, sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
  2. Cut the ends off the cucumber then cut it in half lengthways.
  3. Scoop out the seeds of the cucumber using a teaspoon.
  4. Cut the cucumber into ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, add them to the bowl with the pickling liquid and allow them to sit for 15 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1169mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 1g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Casper

Monday 12th of June 2023

This is unbelievably salty, don't make this I think that tablespoon had to be a teaspoon.

Brian Jones

Tuesday 13th of June 2023

You seem to have misread, the recipe asks for a teaspoon!

Skip to Recipe