Korean Cucumber Salad | Feast at home

Sparklingly spicy Korean cucumber salad (Oi Muchim) is crispy, cool and refreshing. An easy to make Korean pickle side dish that’s healthy and delicious.

Now I see the secret to making the best human being: it’s growing under the open sky and eating and sleeping with the earth.

Walt Whitman

Korean Cucumber Salad is addicting! Cool, crunchy cucumber slices are tossed in a tangy, slightly sweet dressing. Gochugaru chili flakes (Korean chili flakes) really make this dish stand out. They have a sweet, fruity smoky flavor with moderate pungency, a unique flavor and are difficult to replace. Fortunately, they are more popular and easier to find. We slice the cucumbers thickly so they retain more crunch and juice and cool the spiciness of the chili flakes. Biting into it is very satisfying! However, you can also slice it thinly if that goes best with what you’re serving with it.

We love all the fresh pickles that are currently available at the farmers market! Find more inspiration for this delicious vegetable (or is it fruit?) here: 20+ Cool Cucumber Recipes.

Ingredients for cucumber salad

Ingredient Notes

• Cucumber- English cucumbers, Japanese cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers or Persian cucumbers – any variety with thin skin and minimal seeds.
• rice vinegar– Best for flavor, but replacing with apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar is also fine in a pinch.
• green onion or green onions provide a nice taste and color.
• sesame oil– roasted, deep taste.
• Sesame seeds – to round off the salad and give consistency.
• Sugar– Honey or maple syrup also work.
• gochugaru- dried Korean red pepper flakes, hot but not very hot, start with less and add more to taste. This is a truly unique flavor that is crucial to Korean taste. You could substitute regular chili flakes or Aleppo chili flakes, or even cayenne pepper — but that doesn’t give the authentic Korean flavor.

For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.

Why You’ll Love This!

• Simply! This flavorful cucumber salad is quick and easy to make.
• Tastefully! So refreshing and a perfect balance of salty, spicy and sweet.
• Healthy and cooling! Rich in water, magnesium, vitamin C, calcium and potassium, cucumbers are moisturizing and anti-inflammatory. They help reduce swelling and redness and may help lower blood sugar levels.

Korean Cucumber Salad (Step-by-Step Instructions)

In a colander, toss the cucumbers with 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside on a plate for 30 minutes. (See notes on skipping this step).

Rinse the cucumber slices lightly. Use a towel to blot and dry to remove excess moisture.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, scallions, and gochogaru flakes. Add the salted, rinsed and patted cucumbers to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine.

Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and fresh coriander. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, but after the second day the pickles will become less crispy.

What to serve with Korean cucumber salad

Korean cucumber salad is usually served as a summer banchan alongside Korean BBQ and rice for its cooling effect.

More Pickle Recipes You’ll Love!

Cucumbers are so soothing and refreshing during the warm summer months – and they go with so many other things!

I hope you like this as much as we do!

~Tonia

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