Spicy cucumber side dish

Oi-muchim 오이무침

I’m going to share a super simple recipe with you today that’s one of my all time favorites. It’s a spicy Korean cucumber side dish called oi-muchim. If you have a nice seedless English cucumber, you can make this delicious banchan in just a few minutes. During my round the world Gapshida trip to meet my readers in 2011, I made this dish almost everywhere I went. Everybody loved it. Who wouldn’t like cold, fresh, crispy, seasoned cucumber? Each bite is succulent and wonderful!

Oi means “cucumber” in English, and muchim means “mixed” or “seasoned,” so many people simply call this dish “seasoned cucumber”. Many Koreans have their own version of it, so you’ll find many variations from family to family. This one is mine, and I’ve been using it for a long time. It’s also one of the dishes in my cookbook.

A major tip for this recipe is to make it and mix it just before serving, which will keep it crisp and fresh and prevent it from getting watery. It’s perfectly for a summertime BBQ – refreshing and just spicy enough to give you a little kick!

Enjoy the recipe! Let me know if you make it!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 English cucumber (or 2 to 3 kirby cucumbers), washed
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
1 green onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Directions

Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half and cut diagonally into thin slices.
Put the cucumber into a large bowl. Add the onion, green onion, garlic, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar.
Mix it well with a spoon until the sugar is well dissolved.
Serve as a side dish for rice, noodles, or BBQ.

Posted on Thursday, April 30th, 2015 at 2:39 pm. Last updated on May 1, 2015.
Tagged: banchan, cucumber kimchi, 오이무침, Korean cooking, Korean cucumber salad recipe, korean food, Korean spicy cucumber salad banchan, oi-moochim, oimuchim, seasoned cucumber, side dish, spicy cucumber salad, spicy Korean cucumber salad, Spicy Korean cucumber side dish, vegetarian dish

51 Comments:

Sauerkraut germany joined 3/20 & has 2 comments
Posted March 11th, 2020 at 1:08 pm | Log in to reply.

I made this for dinner and lunchboxes soooo easy!

See full size image
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 11,851 comments
  Posted March 16th, 2020 at 10:50 am | Log in to reply.
  
  The kimchi looks so juicy and the oimuchim (seasoned cucumber salad) looks very refreshing. It’s such a great lunch!
RayRaysBbq Florida joined 3/19 & has 3 comments
Posted March 1st, 2020 at 8:16 pm | Log in to reply.

This is a wonderful side dish. I will be making this for the rest of my life.

See full size image
TeddyNJ NYC area joined 2/20 & has 1 comment
Posted February 8th, 2020 at 4:10 pm | Log in to reply.

I loved this just as you made it, but I had leftover Daikon Radish from making Kimchi. I sliced it fine and made small cubes, and added some Gochujang to kick it up a little more. Was fantastic.

See full size image
JNOK Oklahoma, US joined 2/20 & has 2 comments
Posted February 4th, 2020 at 1:13 pm | Log in to reply.

Just made it. It’s so good! Thank you very much! Love all of your videos.

See full size image
kamodd Russia joined 9/18 & has 3 comments
Posted September 4th, 2018 at 4:42 pm | Log in to reply.

thank you!

See full size image
Jdog77 cali joined 7/18 & has 1 comment
Posted July 15th, 2018 at 12:10 pm | Log in to reply.

This is my new favorite way to use cucumbers!
Kitty143 Canada joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
Posted June 6th, 2018 at 8:09 am | Log in to reply.

I will be trying this out soon. Looks delish and is very healthy. Am following Maangchi and I’m here in Canada.
Zipice Philippines joined 3/18 & has 1 comment
Posted March 20th, 2018 at 11:43 pm | Log in to reply.

Been craving for this since I came back from Korea! Gladly I have been following you even before I went to Korea so I remembered you have lots of recipes. I tried this one and it was amazing! It was easy to follow. Perfect for the hot weather in the Philippines! Mine doesn’t look like yours but I will try again next time to make it look better hahaha
Evil Twin Manitoba Canada joined 5/17 & has 2 comments
Posted June 15th, 2017 at 8:49 pm | Log in to reply.

I found this recipe today and decided to make it for dinner. IT WAS AMAZING! My sister and I fought over the last bite. I plan on making this for Father’s Day lunch this weekend. Thank you for another awesome recipe!!
LConnie Singapore joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
Posted May 13th, 2017 at 6:00 am | Log in to reply.

Dear Maangchi

I like this recipe so much and very easy to make.
I made a big portion and kept inside the fridge for a week but the cucumber still very crunchy. Yummy!

Thanks for sharing.

See full size image
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 11,851 comments
  Posted March 22nd, 2018 at 8:33 am | Log in to reply.
  
  It looks mouthwatering!
Endless.Revisions 군산 joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
Posted May 5th, 2017 at 5:32 am | Log in to reply.

Thank you so much for these recipes. I have lived in Korea since 2010, but it wasn’t until I started dating my husband, I knew that I would have to learn how to cook Korean food. We’ve only been married a couple of months, but these recipes are easy to follow, and so far I haven’t had any kitchen accidents.

See full size image
edeline Sweden joined 4/17 & has 1 comment
Posted April 15th, 2017 at 5:46 pm | Log in to reply.

hi..
i was wondering if this cucumber sallad can be put in the fridge for long time?
- Jimmy19 California joined 7/17 & has 1 comment
  Posted July 4th, 2017 at 11:54 am | Log in to reply.
  
  The taste will be more fermented and “sour” as it progresses, but I know you can keep it in the fridge for at least a week or two (possibly even longer) – as long as you eat it clean; don’t eat it straight from the batch (ie. don’t let your saliva touch it). But I’m not 100% sure if it keeps for months like kim chi. I always prefer my kim chi and Oi-muchim freshly made, maybe 1 or 2 days old tops.
stonefly Olympia WA joined 11/11 & has 61 comments
Posted February 3rd, 2017 at 9:39 pm | Log in to reply.

Such a great dish, Maangchi! I like this almost as much as Oi-sobagi. Almost, but Oi-sobagi is my fave!
- stonefly Olympia WA joined 11/11 & has 61 comments
  Posted February 3rd, 2017 at 9:43 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  I also added thinly sliced lobak radish. Yum!
duday76 USA joined 12/16 & has 9 comments
Posted January 12th, 2017 at 8:08 am | Log in to reply.

Thank you maangchi! Love the combination of the taste in this simple dish. Will definitely put this in my table frequently.

See full size image
Omsin Salamanca, Spain joined 7/16 & has 7 comments
Posted October 22nd, 2016 at 10:22 am | Log in to reply.

I bought some baby cucumbers yesterday and decided to try this dish (since with normal Spanish cucumber it would be impossible). I love it! Simple, aromatic and refreshing. Thanks again for the recipe. ^_^

See full size image
- Spiaggian Singapore joined 11/16 & has 2 comments
  Posted November 12th, 2016 at 11:56 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Hi Maangchi,
  
  I had a lot of Korean ingredients handy so I decided to make Oi-muchim for my family of 4 with your recipe. Needless to say, the whole thing was devoured within 10 minutes!
  
  Love the refreshing taste of cucumbers with the mix of ingredients and a spicy kick of gochugaru!
  
  See full size image
  - Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 11,851 comments
    Posted November 22nd, 2016 at 2:07 am | Log in to reply.
    
    Your oi-muchim looks like mine! : ) yum!

More comments to read! Jump to page: < Previous 1 2

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Spicy cucumber side dish
Other English name(s): seasoned cucumber, spicy cucumber salad
Korean name: 오이무침
Romanized: Oi-muchim
Also Romanized as: oi-moochim

Categories: cold, easy, side dish, spicy, vegetarian
Made with: cucumber, english cucumber, garlic, green onion, hot pepper flakes, kirby, onion, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sugar,