Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)
This Korean cucumber salad is spicy, slightly sweet, and tangy! It's a great side dish to any main course- especially soy braised meats.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 11 min
- Yield
- 1 serving
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb Persian cucumbers ((about 5 or 6))
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp plum vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 oz carrot
- 1/4 onion
- 1 serrano pepper (finely minced or sliced)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse and cut the cucumbers (and carrots/onion/serrano if using). The shape and thickness do not matter that much- it depends on your preference.
- 2
Add salt and toss to coat evenly. Let it sit for 10 minutes if you sliced the cucumbers thinly, or 15 minutes if you sliced them thick. *If using table salt, reduce to 1 tsp.
- 3
After 10-15 minutes, there will be a pool of water drawn out from the cucumbers. Pour it out and remove as much water as possible by gently squeezing it out.
- 4
Add the seasoning sauce ingredients. *You can reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe if you prefer, but I highly recommend keeping the original amount to make this extra delicious.
- 5
Mix until evenly coated and serve immediately or keep in the fridge for up to a week.