Oi Doenjang Muchim (Cucumber with Soybean Paste Dressing)
A fresh summer side dish of crisp, unpickled cucumber tossed in a savory doenjang dressing right before serving.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
A different kind of cucumber side dish seasoned with a savory doenjang base instead of the usual sweet and sour dressing. Slicing fresh, unpickled cucumbers thickly and tossing them right away keeps excess water from forming quickly. Lightly crushing half the toasted sesame seeds brings out an even nuttier flavor.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cucumber1
- Onion1/2 (small)
Seasoning
- Doenjang (Korean soybean paste)1 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)1/2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1/2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- You can also slice 1 or 2 chili peppers and add them.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 1 cucumber and 1/2 onion.
Adding sweet and slightly pungent onion makes cucumber salad even more delicious.
I did not add any, but slicing 1 or 2 chili peppers and adding them is good too.
Cut the ingredients
Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and slice it thickly.
Slice the onion into strips that are not too thin.
Make the dressing
Add 1 tbsp doenjang (Korean soybean paste), 1/2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste), 1 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot), 1/2 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), and 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, then mix well.
Because the cucumber is not salted, the dressing should be nicely seasoned, not bland.
Toss together
Add the cucumber and onion to the dressing, along with 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.
Lightly crush half of the toasted sesame seeds so the nutty flavor comes out more.
Serve
This is a side dish to toss right before eating and finish in one meal.
Making cucumber salad this way prevents water from pooling and helps the dressing cling to the cucumber, making it easy to pick up and eat.
Whip it up quickly and enjoy it as a side dish with rice.
It will be a completely different cucumber side dish from the sweet and sour version.
Ppunwife's tips
- Because the cucumber is not salted, the dressing should be nicely seasoned, not bland.
- Lightly crush half of the toasted sesame seeds so the nutty flavor comes out more.
FAQ
Do I need to salt the cucumber beforehand?
Use the cucumber fresh without salting it. Since it is not salted, the dressing is seasoned boldly to balance it.
Is there a way to bring out more nutty flavor in the dressing?
Lightly crushing about half of the toasted sesame seeds added at the end gives you a much richer, nuttier flavor.
Are there other vegetables good to add besides cucumber?
In addition to the onion, slicing 1 or 2 chili peppers and adding them goes very well.
