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.

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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 sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

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Directions

  1. Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half and cut diagonally into thin slices.slice cucumbers
  2. Put the cucumber into a large bowl. Add the onion, green onion, garlic, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar.Spicy Korean cucumber salad (oimuchim: 오이무침)
  3. Mix it well with a spoon until the sugar is well dissolved.Spicy Korean cucumber salad (oimuchim: 오이무침)
  4. 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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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44 Comments:

  1. Kitty143 Canada joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 6th, 2018 at 8:09 am |

    I will be trying this out soon. Looks delish and is very healthy. Am following Maangchi and I’m here in Canada.

  2. Zipice Philippines joined 3/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 20th, 2018 at 11:43 pm |

    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

  3. Evil Twin Manitoba Canada joined 5/17 & has 2 comments
    Posted June 15th, 2017 at 8:49 pm |

    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!!

  4. LConnie Singapore joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 13th, 2017 at 6:00 am |

    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.


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  5. Endless.Revisions 군산 joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 5th, 2017 at 5:32 am |

    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.


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  6. edeline Sweden joined 4/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 15th, 2017 at 5:46 pm |

    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 |

      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.

  7. stonefly Olympia WA joined 11/11 & has 45 comments
    Posted February 3rd, 2017 at 9:39 pm |

    Such a great dish, Maangchi! I like this almost as much as Oi-sobagi. Almost, but Oi-sobagi is my fave!

  8. duday76 USA joined 12/16 & has 9 comments
    Posted January 12th, 2017 at 8:08 am |

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


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  9. Omsin Salamanca, Spain joined 7/16 & has 7 comments
    Posted October 22nd, 2016 at 10:22 am |

    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. ^_^


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