Crisp and Refreshing Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)
Easy-to-Follow Suminé Banchan Cucumber Salad Recipe
Perfect for when you have a low appetite! This Suminé Banchan-style cucumber salad, made with fresh cucumbers, is wonderfully tangy, sweet, and spicy. Make it simply and enjoy it as a side dish.
Main Ingredients- 1 medium cucumber
Seasoning- 1/2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste, adjust to taste)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste, adjust to taste)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare one fresh cucumber. (The cucumber in the photo is a Korean prickly cucumber, ‘gasi oi’.)
Step 2
Wash the cucumber thoroughly. Then, use a peeler or a vegetable julienne tool to thinly peel the skin. Peeling the skin will result in a much softer texture.
Step 3
Slice the peeled cucumber into bite-sized pieces. ‘Suminé Banchan’ typically slices them somewhat roughly, but feel free to slice them thinly lengthwise or diagonally according to your preference. If you want to add more crispiness, thinly slicing about 1/4 of an onion and mixing it in is also delicious.
Step 4
Now, let’s prepare the seasoning. The ‘Suminé Banchan’ recipe uses 1 tablespoon of gochujang for 3 cucumbers. Since we’re using only one cucumber, we’ll use just 1/2 tablespoon of gochujang. If you prefer it spicier, you can add more gochugaru.
Step 5
Combine all the remaining seasoning ingredients in a bowl: 2 tablespoons of gochugaru, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar (adjust sweetness to your liking), 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds. Mix everything well. Once all the ingredients are combined and mixed gently, your delicious cucumber salad is complete.
Step 6
This simple yet flavorful cucumber salad is a perfect side dish that will make you want to eat more rice! Its crisp texture and refreshing sweet, sour, and spicy taste make it an excellent banchan to keep on hand. Enjoy your delicious Suminé Banchan-style refreshing cucumber salad!
