Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)
Salting the cucumbers for 20 minutes before dressing them is non-negotiable - it pulls out all the water so they stay crunchy instead of going limp. The dressing is just gochugaru, sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil but it hits all the right notes of spicy, sweet, and tangy.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lb Persian cucumbers about 5 or 6
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the Spicy Seasoning Sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash and slice cucumbers into 1/4-inch rounds.
- Toss cucumber slices with kosher salt and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Drain accumulated water and gently squeeze cucumbers to remove excess liquid.
- Whisk together gochugaru, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and sesame seeds until sugar dissolves.
- Add drained cucumbers to sauce and toss until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Salting step is crucial for maintaining cucumber crunch. Can be served immediately but tastes best after chilling.