Oi naengguk is another simple but popular Korean side dish, perfect for summer. I have made so many different kinds of naengguk (cold soup) using different vegetables, but this is my most favorite recipe. The seasoning in this recipe could be changed a little according to your taste, more sugar if you like it sweeter, or more chili peppers if you like it spicier.
Ingredients: Cucumber, garlic, green chili pepper, red hot chili pepper, green onion , 1½ tbs vinegar, 1 ts salt, 1 ts fish sauce, 1 ts sugar, 1½ cup of cold water (purified or boiled and cooled down), and 6 ice cubes.
- Get a bowl ready, one that can hold more than 2 cups. One that is made of glass looks the best.
- Put about 1¼ cups of cucumber, cut into thin strips (julienne style), into the bowl.
- Mince one clove of garlic, chop up half a green onion, and cut up 1 or 2 ts worth of green chili pepper (depending on how hot you like it). Add them to the cucumber strips in the bowl.
- Add 1 ts of salt, 1 ts of fish sauce, 1 ½ tbs of vinegar, 1 ts of sugar to the bowl and mix it well with a spoon.
- Pour 1½ cup of cold water (purified or boiled and cooled down) to the bowl and mix it.
- Add 6 ice cubes.
- Cut some red hot chili pepper to garnish and sprinkle on the top of the soup.
- Serve it with rice.
You can also make naengguk with miyuk (sea plant), or egg plant, instead of cucumber. Or you can make it with mi yuk (sea plant) together with cucumber, too. You can try some different combinations to see what you like the best.
My best friend’s mother–in-law had major surgery that caused her to stay at the hospital for months. When she got out of the hospital, my friend asked, “Mom, what do you feel like eating now that you can eat any food that you want? I would like to make your favorite food, something you couldn’t eat for months!”
The mother-in-law said, “I don’t have any food that I feel like at the moment except for oi naengguk”. My friend expected her mother–in-law to say that she wanted some expensive gourmet food, but all she wanted was simple “oi naengguk”!
After meeting my friend on the day, what do you think I did when I came back home? Haha, I made a huge bowl of oi naengguk and enjoyed it, thinking about the mother-in-law. Whenever I eat oi naengguk, it reminds me of my friend’s mother-in-law.
Yes, we don’t always have to have expensive luxurious gourmet food, sometimes very humble food makes our lives happy.
Great summer dish for the hot weather. There wasn’t any red chili at the market so I used a sweet red pepper and it worked very well. Off topic- Oi means cucumber, right? Is it also a name? I have been watching Jumong and there is a character named Oi. Is his name cucumber?
yes, I sometimes use red bell pepper in my oinaengguk, too. My Thailand friend’s name is oi, too. I tease her,”Cucumber, where have you been!” : )
Hey Manngchi.i’d love to try this soup.but is it okay to not put apple cider vinegar?
aaah this is very similar to the vietnamese sauce “nuoc mam”, we almost dip anything in it :D..its very good with carrots also! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Bc_ch%E1%BA%A5m)
Hi Maangchi,
It is very hot and humid right now where I live. I’ll definitely make this cold soup to beat the heat! Usually my mom makes an Indian cucumber and cilantro salad with some authentic seasonings but this looks so tasty to!!! Thanks
“Indian cucumber and cilantro salad ” it sounds great! I love cilantro!
Yes, oinaengguk is a perfect side dish for hot summer.
Thank you so much for this recipe. My mother, who is usually very critical of my cooking, just came home for a visit. I knew she liked cold soup and had a couple of pickling cukes laying around. Whipped this up in no time (added just a scootch less sugar b/c she doesn’t like anything tasting remotely sweet) and served it up. I had been tempted to add more vinegar b/c I’m a vinegar fiend, but I made myself follow everything else to the tea and…..she loved it! Made three comments about how good it was while we were eating. We had other (storebought) banchan on the table, but she ate almost nothing else but her rice and this soup. It felt good to do something for her that she enjoyed.
You made my day! Awesome compliment! I love your mom. lol
Hi Maangchi, it looks very nice! I wonder what if I dont have fish sauce? :D
Like Maangchi said,you could use salt instead of fish sauce:)
Thank you, Brigitte!
Hey Maangchi!
I’ve made this recipe 2 times before. The first time I used cucumbers, and the second time, I substituted the cucumbers for seaweed. It’s okay that I didn’t cook it right? Eating raw seaweed is okay as long as I washed it well right? o.O
Anyways, I plan on making this again with both seaweed and cucumbers. The last time I made it, my dad finished all of it! He was surprised when I told him that I made it ;]
Thanks for this recipe~ I’ll be looking forward to your next recipe that you will share with us!
Of course you can add miyuk to this cold soup that I used in my miyukguk and miyuk salad recipe. http://www.howcast.com/videos/50451-Seaplant-Soup-Miyuk-Guk
I usually blanch miyuk before making naengguk (cold soup) or miyukmuchim (miyuk salad).
My family loves your oi-naengguk! My husband is pretty picky about his Korean food and he thought this would be good enough to sell at a restaurant. I also made your naeng-myun this week, and my family loves oi-naengguk so much we use that for mul naeng-myun broth. It’s delicious!
That’s a great idea! Cold oinaengguk and noodles sounds good!
http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oi-naengguk
Hello Maangchi,
I was practicing driving a stick shift with an empty stomach and no A/C (need to listen to the engine), I was ‘overheated’ that I felt dizzy and my heart of beating rapidly. (>100 degrees here in Arizona)
I made Oi Naeng guk for supper. It was so refreshing and cooled my body down. I reduced the vinegar into 1 tbs, since I cannot endure much sourness.
I pre-chopped the garlic and preserved them in oil once the garlic arrived home.
The oil which sticks to the minced garlic floats on the surface of the naeng guk, which I don’t think it’s pretty. Therefore, I did not take a picture of it.
I enjoyed the naeng guk, and I’d like to thank you for the recipe.
Agasuka, It’s been a long time to hear from you! But I know you are reading my website. : )
Yes, you chose a perfect side dish to help you recover from dizziness! I should make oinaengguk tomorrow!