Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
Oi naengguk is a classic chilled soup made with cucumber and seaweed (miyeok). It’s a refreshing, tangy soup that’s perfect for hot summer days!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 Korean cucumber or 2 Kirby (pickling) cucumbers ((5 – 6 ounces))
- 1 cup soaked miyeok, 미역 (seaweed – about 1/2 ounce dried miyeok)
- 1 Korean green or red chili pepper or scallion
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce ((guk ganjang, 국간장))
- 3 to 4 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Korean red chili pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 4 cups of water
- salt to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
Instructions
- 1
Cut the cucumber into matchsticks. Finely chop the chili pepper (or scallion).
- 2
Prepare the dried seaweed by soaking for 10 to 20 minutes and rinsing well. (See my miyeok guk recipe for more.) Boil water in a small pot, and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Blanch the soaked seaweed briefly, 20 to 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again, squeeze out excess water, and cut into bite size pieces.
- 3
In a medium size bowl, gently toss the vegetables with the seasoning ingredients. Set aside for about 10 minutes. You can make ahead up to this point several hours or a day before, if desired.
- 4
Mix in 4 cups of cold water and season with salt. Start with a half teaspoon of salt, taste and add more if necessary. Refrigerate to chill. Serve in chilled bowls with some ice cubes.