Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)

Oi muchim is a sweet and spicy Korean cucumber salad that makes a refreshing palate cleanser for any meal! I often whip up a quick batch as a substitute for kimchi. It only takes five minutes to throw together and I guarantee it will be a crowd pleaser.

What kind of cucumbers should you use?

Any type of cucumber will work for this recipe. Here in Singapore, I will usually go for the Japanese cucumbers since they are most similar to the cucumbers I can find back in Korea. Generally, try to get a cucumber that is on the narrower side.

The dressing only requires a handful of ingredients. What makes this dish distinctly Korean, as opposed to other spicy cucumber salads out there, is the use of gochujang (Korean chili paste) and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). If you can’t find these, you can omit the gochujang and use whatever chili flakes you can find. It might not taste the exact same but I’m sure it will still be delicious!

5 from 1 vote

Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)

Prep Time 10 mins Total Time 10 mins Difficulty: Beginner Servings: 2

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Recipe Keys: E easy S spicy V vegetarian

Ingredients

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1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 tbsp salt

Dressing

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• ¹⁄₂ tbsp gochugaru
• ¹⁄₂ tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Slice the cucumber into coins. You can make half-moon shapes or cut on a bias—it's really up to you. Usually the thickness should be at about a half centimeter.

1. Mix in a tablespoon of salt and rest for about 10 minutes. This will draw out the excess water from the cucumber and help them stay crunchy without watering down the dressing. Drain the water that's drawn out and thoroughly rinse the salt off the cucumber.

1. Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together.

1. Drizzle the dressing over the cucumber and mix thoroughly. Garnish with additional sesame seeds.

Keywords: cucumber, salad, banchan

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