This Kimchi Tuna Salad is an unconventional salad. First of all, there’s a fried egg smacked in the middle of it. The egg came unexpectedly, when I decided to turn a little side dish into a whole meal. At the time it felt appropriate and I still stand behind it. To paraphrase Joey Tribbiani, “kimchi, good. Eggs, good. Cucumbers, good!”
Recipes are merely guidelines, and when it comes to salads, all you need is a list of ingredients, but I’ll quickly walk you through this one.
It was inspired by this New York Times recipe, or rather, it’s a stripped down version of it. It’s making a recipe when you don’t have half the ingredients, but nothing’s going to stopping you from getting it done. So if you want a more robust, complex salad, I encourage you to try that one.
For my recipe, I like smacking the cucumbers and then slicing them into chunks. I usually make everything in the same plate or bowl, adding the ingredients and adjusting as I go.
No kimchi is made equal, so it’s important to taste and make any adjustments you deem necessary. The fried egg is absolutely optional, but an unconventionally delightful addition!
I think this is a great little dish for a quick lunch when you don’t feel like cooking at all. The cucumber makes it refreshing, the kimchi makes it complex, and the tuna adds the protein and sustenance part. It might not be a sexy-looking salad, but sexy is so overrated anyway. Give me comfort and reliability. Give me affordable ingredients and zero cooking time!
If you make this sexy, comforting, reliable kimchi tuna salad, let me know in the comments!
Kimchi Tuna Salad
1
servings10
minutes3
minutesIngredients
8 oz cabbage kimchi, including juice
3 mini cucumbers
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 4 Ingredient
5 oz canned tuna, drained
1 egg, fried
fresh cilantro
sesame seeds
red pepper flakes
Directions
Place a colander in a small bowl and drain the kimchi. Coarsely chop the kimchi.
Slice the ends off the cucumbers. With the side of your knife, smash the cucumbers a few times until they’re a bit flattened and broken down the centre. Slice into chunks.
- Directions Step
- Transfer sliced cucumbers to a bowl. Add salt and allow cucumbers to sit in for 5 minutes to draw out excess liquids. Discard liquid.
To the medium bowl with the kimchi juice, add the lemon juice and sesame oil; stir to combine. Stir in the tuna, breaking up the large chunks. Add cucumbers.
Add the chopped kimchi and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. If it needs more tang, add more rice lemon juice. If it’s too intense, add more oil. If you want it spicier, add red-pepper flakes, gochugaru or sambal.
Serve with a fried egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. The salad keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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