spicy pickled cucumber, wakame, garlic blossom

pickled cucumber, wakame
japanese cucumber, wakame, serrano pepper
sea-flavored sweet & sour garlic marinade, toasted sesame seed
society garlic blossom garnish

Lively, crisp, and vinegary – spicy pickled cucumber & wakame is a perfect summer accompaniment that offers a refreshing counterpoint to grilled meat, poultry or fish. Crunchy Japanese cucumber, fiery serrano chile, and briny silky wakame combine to make a cool & spicy restorative hot weather side dish.

cucumber serrano

Sea-Flavored Sweet & Sour Garlic Marinade

  • 1 c. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 c. water
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 2 t. sea salt
  • 3 – 4 inch piece of kombu (dried kelp)
  • 1 T. low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 – 2 cloves minced garlic

Combine the first five ingredients above in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and discard kombu. Stir to dissolve sugar then cool in an ice bath. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Add sliced Japanese cucumber and sliced serrano peppers. Marinate for two hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile rehydrate dried cut wakame by adding it to hot water and let sit for about 20 minutes. Then blot off extra moisture with paper towels and tear large sheets into smaller pieces if necessary. Wakame is an edible seaweed with a mild sweet salty flavor and silky texture, the perfect counterbalance to cucumber and chile. Add wakame to the cucumber mixture just before serving.

society garlic blossom

In addition to adding a touch of lilac-pink beauty to the green pickled cucumber & wakame, pretty society garlic blossoms have a surprisingly pronounced garlic flavor. I recently planted several garlics in my garden in order to have a plentiful supply of these fabulous flowers.

cucumber wakame salad

Garnish pickled cucumber & wakame with toasted sesame seeds and society garlic blossoms.

Along with pickled lotus root, spicy pickled cucumber & wakame provides a refreshing contrast to char-grilled rib-eye steak.


We serve the pickled dishes in bowls on the side so everyone can help themselves and refresh their palate while enjoying the barbecue. Pickled lotus root recipe coming soon.

summer fest is featuring cucumbers this week!

Pinch My Salt: Chilled Cucumber, Kefir and Avocado Soup
What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber-Basil Gimlet
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Radish-Cucumber Crostini
Big Girl Small Kitchen: Spicy Cucumber Salad with Shallot, Ginger and Mint
Grecian Kitchen: Summer Cucumber Salad
And Love It Too: Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumbers Coolers with Agave Simple Syrup
Cooking With My Kid: Cucumber Limeade
FN Dish: Summer Fest: Cucumber Recipes
CIA Dropout: Relishing Cucumbers
Healthy Eats: Cool Cucumber Soup
Food for 7 Stages of Life: Cucumber Cherry Salsa
Cooking With Elise: Green Tea Cucumber Pops
Glory Foods: Cucumber and Shrimp Boat
Virtually Vegan Mama: Fire-Roasted Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho
Food2: When Life Gives You Cucumbers, Make a Cucumber Cocktail
Cooking Channel: Cucumbers Stuffed with Crab-Mango Salad
Recipe Girl: Bread and Butter Pickles
Taste With The Eyes: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers with Wakame and Garlic Blossoms
Virtually Homemade: Cold Thai Cucumber-Mint Soup
Add a Pinch: Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
The Cultural Dish: Ahi Tuna with Cucumber Sauce and Salad
Daily*Dishin: Cool n’ Zesty Cukes: 7 Minute Summer in a Jar
Daydreamer Desserts: Cubanita Margarita
Purple Cook: Cucumber Gazpacho with Indian Flavored Shrimp Relish
Indian Simmer: Cucumber at its Best with Chaat Masala
Big Apple Nosh: Quick and Easy Homemade Pickles
Sweet Life Bake: Agua de Pepino
The Sensitive Epicure: Tzatziki with Grilled Gluten-Free Pitas and Fresh Cucumbers and Peppers
Zaika Zabardast: Cucumber Gazpacho
A Way to Garden: Cucumber-Growing Q&A and the Best Pickles
Cooking with Books: Summer Fest: Cucumbers

Summer Fest is a season long franchise (bi-weekly) where Food Network editors team up with blogs to share tips and recipes about seasonal produce.

27 thoughts on “spicy pickled cucumber, wakame, garlic blossom”

  1. Wow, your pickled cucumber looks delicious with wakame…love the touch of the serrano chile. This dish reminds of something that my mom used to make 🙂
    Hope you are having a fantastic week Lori Lynn!

  2. Your photos are absolutely stunning. I love the idea of contrasting the cool crisp cucumbers with a serrano chili. I’ve never used wakame before and will be on the look out for some. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Absolutely stunning – as always! I’ve been in a pickle mood recently – it must be because of the cucumbers on summer fest!

  4. Look at those gorgeous blooms! What a neat idea. I’m going to try adding flowers for the kids sometime soon. In the meantime, I’d like to add an idea to cucumber week. It’s a recipe straight from The Food Network Magazine itself, and a good one: Chicken with Pickle Sauce

    Best, Charity

  5. As refreshing as it is beautiful. Grand pairing of spice and mild. I love the Oriental flavors you feature – wish MN would provide more! You are making me rethink my chive blossoms – they’re ordinary but they would be fun atop different dishes!

  6. I see you are on a pickle kick. Love them. I found a new interesting produce item I pickled and will blog about soon. Pickled relishes are great for entertaining.

  7. Hi!

    Your website is incredible. The photos are just wonderful, so beautiful and inspiring. I’m currently researching society garlic and that’s how I found this page. I like the idea of using flowers in cooking, hence my interest in the potential of society garlic. Have you tried other parts of the plant as well? Thank you. 🙂

  8. Can this be made the day before it is to be served? How long will it keep in the fridge? Thank you!

    1. Hi Colette – yes you can make it the day before, but the cucumber will not be as crisp, that’s all. It will keep a few days in the fridge.
      LL

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