Korean Cucumber Salad

This quick and simple Korean cucumber salad is a hearty and refreshing side dish that is spicy, tangy, and packed full of flavor! 

I’ve seen a lot of viral recipes for Korean cucumber salad (Oi Muchim), and I loved that it can be enjoyed as a banchan (Korean side-dish) to pair with your favourite Korean main dish, although my kids liked eating it as a snack. I finally decided to make this easy Korean cucumber salad after watching Chris Cho’s video. The salad was a big hit with my whole family and will be on regular rotation.

Korean Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, then cut into moons
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 2 green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp gochugaru
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 1½ tsp fish sauce
• 1½ tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• ½ tsp gochujang
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced

How to Make a Korean Cucumber Salad

Salt the cucumber slices by placing them in a bowl and sprinkling the salt over them; toss to coat evenly and set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the gochugaru, rice vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, and gochujang in a small glass jar; stir until well combined; set aside to allow the flavors time to mingle.

Make the salad by adding the onions and most of the green onions and toasted sesame seeds to the bowl with the cucumbers. Pour the well-stirred dressing on top and toss for a few minutes to coat each cucumber slice well.

Pour the salad into a serving bowl and top with the remaining green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve the salad immediately or chill it in the refrigerator for an hour to allow the flavors to meld together. Enjoy.