Korean Cold Seaweed Cucumber Soup is a typical summer side dish. The Korean name for this dish is called “Ooi miyuk nangguk (오이미역냉국)”.
You can make a different variation by using cucumber alone or seaweed alone in this cold soup but I like to combine them both all in one dish. Cool and refreshing, this Korean cold seaweed cucumber soup can cool down the summer heat at the end of the day with your meal.
I love the soft texture of seaweed that contrasts the crunchiness of cucumber. The slightly sweet and sourness of the cold broth is really refreshing to the taste. A must side dish to try out before summer ends if you are trying a Korean meal for dinner. Lovely soup that only takes about 15 minutes of your time. You can’t beat that!
Soak a large piece of dried sea kelp in cold water. Mineral water is preferred. This will be your soup stock base.
Look for dried cut seaweed at the Korean store. If you can’t find them, you can use one of those long strands of dried seaweed as well. Soak them in cold water and wait 10-15 minutes.
Voila! It will quadruple its volume. Discard and squeeze out the excess water. If the seaweed strands seems to long for a bite, then simply cut up to adjust the size!
Add garlic, Korean soy sauce for soup, chili flakes, sugar, and vinegar.
Add the sliced cucumber, green onion, and toasted sesame seeds. Pour the sea kelp stock into the mixture as much as you want and mix them up. Adjust the seasoning for your taste and your liking. That’s all! Oh, and don’t forget to add a few ice cubes to keep them even colder. Very refreshing summer soup is ready to serve. Enjoy!
~ Holly
Korean Cold Seaweed Cucumber Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 English cucumber thinly sliced into matchsticks
- 1 small handful dried seaweed cut
- 1 dried sea kelp (dashima)
- 3-4 cup mineral water
- 1 tablespoon Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang)
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon rice or white vinegar
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the sea kelp in mineral water and set aside.
- Soak the dried seaweed cuts in cold water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the excess water. Cut to smaller size if needed.
- Place the seaweed in a large bowl, add the soy sauce for soup, sugar, vinegar, garlic, chili flakes, and sesame seeds; Mix well.
- Add the cucumber and green onion to the seaweed mixture. Pour the sea kelp stock and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning for your liking.
Interesting soup! I’ve not had this, nor anything quite like it. Sounds good, though. Thanks!
Your website is really informative and well organized! I also love the precise and concise English explanations.😀