Chilled Cucumber and Seaweed Soup (Oi Miyeok Naengguk)
Ice-Cold Cucumber and Seaweed Soup: The Golden Recipe for a Refreshing Meal
On sweltering hot days like these, nothing beats a cool, refreshing soup served with ice floating in it, rather than a hot one. This is a delightfully tangy, sweet, and mildly spicy chilled cucumber and seaweed soup. Perfect for beating the heat!
Main Ingredients- 1 cucumber
- A small handful of dried seaweed (approx. 5-10g)
- 1/2 onion
- 1 Korean chili pepper (optional, for spice)
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Chilled Soup Broth- 1.5 L water
- 50 ml plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 50 ml brown rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Korean soy sauce (jipganjang)
- 1/2 Tbsp roasted salt (or to taste)
- 1.5 L water
- 50 ml plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 50 ml brown rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Korean soy sauce (jipganjang)
- 1/2 Tbsp roasted salt (or to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the cucumber and dried seaweed. Wash the cucumber thoroughly. Have the dried seaweed ready to be rehydrated.
Step 2
Soak the dried seaweed in cold water for about 30 minutes, or until fully rehydrated and softened. Once rehydrated, squeeze out excess water thoroughly. Be careful not to oversoak, as it can become mushy.
Step 3
Wash the cucumber well. Rub it gently with coarse sea salt (cheonilyeom) to enhance its crispness and freshness, then rinse again. Slice the cucumber into thin, fine julienne strips. The thinner the slices, the better they will absorb the soup’s flavor.
Step 4
Julienne the onion finely, similar to the cucumber. Cut the rehydrated seaweed into bite-sized pieces (about 3-4 cm). Finely chop the Korean chili pepper if you desire a bit of heat. Now, let’s prepare the refreshing broth to bring all these wonderful ingredients together!
Step 5
Combine all the prepared vegetables and rehydrated seaweed in a large bowl. Pour the prepared broth mixture (water, plum extract, brown rice vinegar, Korean soy sauce, roasted salt) over the ingredients and stir well to combine. Add the chopped chili pepper for extra spice if you like. Just before serving, sprinkle with sesame seeds and generously add ice cubes. Your perfectly refreshing chilled cucumber and seaweed soup is ready to help you beat the heat!
