Korean Cucumber Salad
A quick and refreshing Korean cucumber salad (Oi Muchim) with a spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet dressing. Perfect as a side dish for any meal.
Prep
: 10
Total
: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers Korean cucumbers
- 0.5 teaspoon salt for salting cucumbers
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) adjust to spice preference
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 0.5 tablespoon soy sauce
- 0.5 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 0.5 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted, for garnish
- 0.25 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Wash the cucumbers and slice them thinly, about 0.25 inches thick. If using regular cucumbers, you can peel them first. For Korean cucumbers, the skin is often left on.
- In a medium bowl, toss the sliced cucumbers with 0.5 teaspoon of salt. Let them sit for about 10 minutes to draw out excess water. This helps the cucumbers stay crisp.
- While the cucumbers are salting, prepare the dressing. In a separate small bowl, whisk together gochugaru, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, and 0.25 teaspoon of salt.
- Drain the excess water from the cucumbers by gently squeezing them or patting them dry with paper towels. Discard the liquid.
- Add the drained cucumbers to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently to coat the cucumbers evenly.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (add more salt, sugar, or vinegar to your preference).
- Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes before serving for a more infused flavor. This salad is best enjoyed fresh.
Notes
This salad is a fantastic accompaniment to Korean barbecue, bibimbap, or any spicy main dish. It's also great on its own as a light and refreshing snack.