Korean Cucumber Salad

With no cooking required, this Korean cucumber salad is a staple of Korean cuisine. Spicy, aromatic, and crunchy, it will get devoured in seconds!

Koreans call this type of salad "oi muchim," which means "seasoned cucumbers." It tends to get served as a side dish (banchan).

Why You’ll Love This Salad:

• It takes a couple of minutes to prepare and doesn't require any cooking whatsoever. You simply slice the cucumbers and marinate them with a few ingredients in a bowl.
• The gochugaru, which is Korean red pepper flakes, turns the cucumbers a vibrant red while giving them a spicy and slightly fruity taste.
• The ease of preparation and vibrant flavors makes this recipe ideal to add to your list of summer salad recipes. It's no wonder that oi muchim is one of the most popular Korean banchan recipes.

What is Oi Muchim?

"Oi" in Korean means "cucumber," while "muchim" means "to season" or "to cover." It is a Korean spicy cucumber salad that is very popular and particularly ideal to serve in the summer since cucumbers are so refreshing. It goes well with Korean BBQ and is particularly tasty with beef.

The Difference Between Oi Muchim and Oi Saengchae?

Oi muchim and oi saengchae are both Korean cucumber side dishes.

In the past, Korea used a Chinese alphabet called Hanja, which was a borrowed written language that many Koreans found difficult to use with their spoken language. Today, Korea has two different systems of writing.

King Sejong the Great created the Hangul in 1443, which is the current Korean alphabet. It simplified the Korean language and provided cohesion between the written and spoken versions.

The Hangul words "oi muchim," refer to seasoned or coated cucumbers. Meanwhile, "oi saengchae" refers to a raw or live cucumber.

Ingredients That You'll Need:

• Korean cucumbers: You can find Korean cucumbers in your local Chinatown or Asian grocery store. However, if you can't find them, you can use any other thin and long cucumbers. Cucumbers with a lot of seeds in them can result in a soggy Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim), so it is best to use cucumbers that have few seeds if possible.
• Salt: Salt is essential for drawing moisture out of the cucumbers so that they have a crisp texture. This process may not remove all of the water from the cucumbers, but the results are quite impressive.
• Scallion or green onion: Both work well, but Koreans tend to prefer green onions. Feel free to use whichever one you have on hand or prefer.
• Minced garlic: Using a garlic press is the best way to mince garlic. If you don't have one, press the garlic with the back of a knife and chop it until it is very fine. Alternatively, if you tend to make a lot of Korean side dishes at once, you can just buy Korean minced garlic in a jar. It is delicious and will save you so much time!
• Gochugaru: Korean cuisine uses gochugaru red pepper flakes in almost everything. Gochugaru is sun-dried, de-seeded peppers that have a sweet, smoky, and spicy taste. You can add gochugaru to anything to add some heat. Buying a whole bottle of these chili flakes will not be a waste, as they are very versatile.
• Sesame oil: Consider using Korean sesame oil in this recipe. It has a lighter taste and smell than Chinese sesame oil.
• Sesame seeds: Rather than toasting your own sesame seeds, you can purchase roasted sesame seeds in a bottle from Korea. They are easy to shake over any dish to give it an attractive appearance.

Are Korean Cucumbers Different From Other Cucumbers?

Korean cucumbers are typically longer and thinner than other cucumbers, so they are perfect for raw salads. However, you can use any long and thin cucumber in this Korean cucumber salad recipe. In fact, some people use a variety of cucumbers in their versions of Korean cucumber salad.

Cucumbers, regardless of what kinds you use, have a cooling effect, making them ideal to include in salads to accompany a heavy main dish.

Variations and Substitutions

• Korean cucumber substitute: If you can't find Korean cucumbers, you can replace them with another type of cucumber. However, it is best that you don't use large cucumbers as they tend to have too many seeds. Instead, use thin cucumbers that have few seeds.
• Scallions or green onions: Scallions or green onions can be used for this recipe, although it is advisable to avoid green onions with too large bulbs as they could overpower the other flavors in the salad.
• Minced garlic: If you're making several Korean side dishes, you could buy Korean minced garlic in a jar rather than mincing your own. This will save you a ton of time since you won't need to mince fresh garlic by hand.
• Gochugaru substitute: There is no perfect substitute for gochugaru, as it has a smoky, sweet, and spicy taste that is difficult to replicate. Cayenne peppers and chili powders may give you the heat, but not the sweetness and smokiness.

How To Make Korean Cucumber Salad?

1. Slice the cucumbers and toss them with 1 tsp of salt. The salt will draw moisture from the cucumbers.
2. Place the cucumbers in a colander or sieve set over a large mixing bowl. Let the cucumbers sit for at least 30 minutes or until they have released most of their moisture.
3. Chop the scallion or green onion.
4. Mince enough garlic to yield 1 tsp, or just use Korean minced garlic in a jar.
5. Add the cucumber, scallion or green onion, and garlic to a medium-sized bowl. Add the gochugaru, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar to the cucumber, and stir until combined.
6. Serve immediately.

What To Serve With Korean Cucumber Salad?

• Beef Noodle Skillet
• White Chicken Chili
• Salmon Patties
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Cheeseburger Pie

FAQ Section

Maangchi Korean Cucumber Salad Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving ( 100g )

• Calories 79.36
• Total Fat 5.24g
• Sodium 9879.63mg
• Potassium 52.16mg
• Total Carbohydrate 8.06g
• Dietary Fiber 0.63g
• Sugars 7.25g
• Protein 0.32g
• Vitamin C 1%
• Calcium 0%
• Iron 0%

Korean Cucumber Salad

Author: Emily Hill Cuisine:Asian, Korean Courses:Salads, Sides

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 15 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:79.36 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

With no cooking required, this Korean cucumber salad is a staple of Korean cuisine. Spicy, aromatic, and crunchy, it will get devoured in seconds!

Ingredients

• 2 Korean cucumbers
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 scallion
  
• 1 tsp minced garlic
  
• 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
  
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
  
• 1 tsp sesame oil
  
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
  
• ½ tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Slice the cucumbers and toss them with 1 tsp of salt. The salt will draw moisture from the cucumbers.
   
2. Place the cucumbers in a colander or sieve set over a large mixing bowl. Let the cucumbers sit for at least 30 minutes or until they have released most of their moisture.
   
3. Chop the scallion or green onion.
   
4. Mince enough garlic to yield 1 tsp, or just use Korean minced garlic in a jar.
   
5. Add the cucumber, scallion or green onion, and garlic to a medium-sized bowl. Add the gochugaru, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar to the cucumber, and stir until combined.
6. Add the gochugaru, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar to the cucumber. Gently mix them together until well combined.
   
7. Serve immediately.

Notes

• If you can't find Korean cucumbers, you can replace them with another type of cucumber. However, it is best that you don't use large cucumbers as they tend to have too many seeds. Instead, use thin cucumbers that have few seeds.
• Scallions or green onions can be used for this recipe, although it is advisable to avoid green onions with too large bulbs as they could overpower the other flavors in the salad.
• If you're making several Korean side dishes, you could buy Korean minced garlic in a jar rather than mincing your own. This will save you a ton of time since you won't need to mince fresh garlic by hand.
• There is no perfect substitute for gochugaru, as it has a smoky, sweet, and spicy taste that is difficult to replicate. Cayenne peppers and chili powders may give you the heat, but not the sweetness and smokiness.

Keywords:Korean Cucumber Salad Maangchi