Korea · 30 min · Vegan · Soup · For beginners
Oi Naengguk
In German: Kalte Gurkensuppe · In English: Chilled Cucumber Soup
For 4 servings · US units
Ice-cold Korean cucumber soup with miyeok seaweed, tangy, fresh and gently spicy
When the air outside just won't move, Oi Naengguk is exactly what you want: crisp cucumber matchsticks and silky seaweed floating in a tangy-sweet, gently spicy broth that comes to the table with ice cubes clinking in the bowl. The miyeok seaweed is the very same kind Koreans use for the warm seaweed soup miyeok-guk, so here you get to see its summery side. And since you can prep everything up to the point of adding the water hours or even a day ahead, there's barely any work left on a hot day.
Ingredients
- 2Cucumbersmall thin-skinned variety; cut into fine matchsticks
- ⅓ ozsoak, squeeze out water, cut into bite-size piecesDried brown seaweed in dark, crinkled strips that soak up into soft, silky green fronds with a mild, gently briny taste.Substitute: Dried Japanese wakame is the same seaweed and can be used without any difference. There is no real substitute among other seaweeds: kombu stays tough and is better suited to making stock, nori falls apart in liquid, and neither gives the soft, silky texture or the mild flavour.Read more
- 3¾ cupsWaterice-cold, as the soup base
- 4 tbspVinegarprovides the sour note
- 1½ tbspSoy saucepreferably light soup soy sauce (guk ganjang)
- 1 tbspSugarto balance the acidity
- 1 tspSaltfor seasoning the broth
- 1 tspcoarse, for colour and mild heatCoarsely ground, sun-dried red chilies without seeds, bright red, fruity and only moderately hot.Substitute: There is no truly equivalent substitute. The closest are Turkish chili flakes (pul biber) from a Turkish grocery, somewhat hotter and saltier, or sweet paprika with a small pinch of cayenne, which matches the colour and heat but not the fruity, smoky depth. Ordinary chili flakes are far hotter and must not be used in the same quantity; for kimchi the real thing is worth seeking out.Read more
- 1 clovesGarlicvery finely minced
- 1Spring onioncut into fine rings
- 1 tbspSesame seedstoasted, for sprinkling
- 1thinly sliced, as an alternative or addition to the spring onion (optional)A fresh chili picked unripe, grassy and bright, ranging from mild to very hot depending on the variety.Substitute: For the mild variety, use long green peppers or mild green peppers such as Italian frying peppers; for the hot one, jalapeño or serrano. The fresh character stays the same, and you only need to adjust the amount for heat.Read more
- 1cold-steeped in water for a more savoury broth (optional)Caution: Kombu is very high in iodine, so a small piece is enough for a stock, and the cooked kelp itself should be eaten only occasionally and in small amounts, especially by people with thyroid conditions.Dried kelp in stiff, dark green sheets, used mainly to steep in stock, which it gives a deep, rounded savouriness.Substitute: There is no equivalent substitute. A few dried shiitake also give a stock savoury depth, but taste noticeably earthier and colour it dark; instant dashi granules are a stopgap, but usually contain fish and taste stronger and saltier.Read more
Method
- Soak the seaweedSoak the dried miyeok seaweed in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse it well, squeeze it out firmly and cut it into bite-size pieces. If you're using dashima, drop it into the ice-cold water now and let it steep while you get everything else ready.
- Cut the cucumbers into matchsticksWash the cucumbers, slice them thinly, then cut the slices into fine matchsticks.
- Prep onion, chili and garlicCut the spring onion into fine rings, thinly slice the green chili pepper if you're using it, and mince the garlic very finely.
- Mix the seasoningIn a large bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, garlic and gochugaru until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Marinate the vegetablesAdd the cucumber matchsticks, seaweed and spring onion (plus the chili, if using) to the seasoning, toss everything well and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes so the vegetables can soak up the flavours.
- Add water and seasonPour in the ice-cold water (fish out the dashima first if you've made a cold-steeped broth), give it a stir and season with a little more salt until the sour, sweet and salty notes feel balanced to you.
- Add sesame and chillScatter the toasted sesame seeds over the top and let the soup chill thoroughly in the fridge.
- Serve with ice cubesLadle the Oi Naengguk into chilled bowls, drop a few ice cubes into each and serve right away.
Tips and variations
You can leave out the seaweed entirely and keep it to just cucumber, chili and spring onion; if you like your seaweed more tender, blanch it in salted water for 20 to 30 seconds after soaking and before mixing. For more depth, swap the plain water for a cold-steeped dashima broth, and fine strips of multicoloured bell pepper, onion and carrot make the bowl even more colourful. Another fun take gets part of its sourness from calamansi juice and skips the soy sauce altogether. Light soup soy sauce (guk ganjang) keeps the broth paler than dark all-purpose soy sauce (jin ganjang), and if you like real heat, add plenty of thinly sliced jalapeños. My tip: prep everything up to adding the water the day before and chill your bowls ahead of time, so the soup stays properly icy at the table.
Allergens
Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Sesame, Soybeans
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
