Clean Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
A chilled cucumber soup seasoned sweet and tangy with tuna extract sauce and vinegar to enjoy refreshing and cold.
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 →
Instead of store-bought broth, this recipe combines tuna extract sauce with basic seasonings to create a clean, sweet, and tangy broth. The crisp cucumber and tender seaweed pair wonderfully together, and freezing some of the broth into ice cubes keeps the soup from getting watered down to the very last bite.
- Servings
- 5–6 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cucumber2
- Dried seaweed (miyeok)15 g
- Onion1/2
- Red bell pepper (or red chili pepper)1 (mini)
Chilled soup seasoning
- Bottled water10 cups
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)4 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Vinegar2/3 cup
- Sugar (or green plum syrup (maesil-cheong))6 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Salt1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds2 tbsp
- Rinse the seaweed after soaking it for 20 to 30 minutes until soft, then drain it in a sieve.
- If you want to make a single meal for 2 to 3 people, just reduce the amount I made by 1/2.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 2 white cucumbers, 1/2 onion, 1 red bell pepper (mini), and 15 g dried seaweed (miyeok).
I used paprika because I had no red chili pepper. That was all the onion I had, so that is what I prepared, but 1/2 onion is the right amount.
Seaweed takes some time to rehydrate, so start by soaking it in water first.
Slice the ingredients
Thinly julienne the cucumbers and onion, and finely chop the red chili pepper or bell pepper.
Prepare the seaweed
Rinse the seaweed after soaking it for 20 to 30 minutes until soft, then drain it in a sieve.
Chop it finely both horizontally and vertically so it is easy to eat.
Make the chilled soup
Pour 10 cups of cold water into a large bowl and add 4 tbsp tuna extract sauce, 2 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), 2/3 cup vinegar, 6 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and 1/2 tbsp salt, stirring well so the sugar and salt dissolve.
Taste the broth and adjust the sweet and tangy balance to your liking.
Even if the seasoning tastes just right now, it can turn bland once it chills or the ingredients are added, so aim for slightly on the saltier side and it will be perfect.
Keep the chilled soup in the refrigerator to stay cold, then add the sliced ingredients and toasted sesame seeds right before serving.
Freeze the broth
Instead of adding plain ice cubes, freezing this chilled soup into ice cubes keeps the broth from getting diluted so you can enjoy it deliciously to the end.
I boiled cold noodles (naengmyeon) and served them in this chilled cucumber soup for a simple meal.
Complete
The season for chilled cucumber soup is coming.
Making chilled soup is easy and simple, so try making just the broth in advance, dividing it into portions to freeze or refrigerate, and enjoy it nice and cold.
Having chilled cucumber soup after such a long time is so refreshing and delicious.
Ppunwife's tips
- Even if the seasoning tastes just right now, it can turn bland once it chills or the ingredients are added, so aim for slightly on the saltier side and it will be perfect.
- Instead of adding plain ice cubes, freezing this chilled soup into ice cubes keeps the broth from getting diluted so you can enjoy it deliciously to the end.
FAQ
Won't adding ice water down the broth?
If you freeze the prepared chilled soup broth instead of using regular water ice cubes, the seasoning will not dilute as they melt, letting you enjoy it deliciously to the very end.
Can I use another ingredient instead of red bell pepper?
You can use an equal amount of red chili pepper (1 whole) instead of red bell pepper and chop it finely.
Does this go well with noodles?
Boiling thin wheat noodles (somyeon) or cold noodles (naengmyeon) and serving them in the cold cucumber soup makes a great refreshing one-bowl meal.
What should I do if I only want to make a small batch for 2 to 3 servings?
Just cut the quantities of all ingredients and seasonings in half (1/2) from this 5 to 6-serving base recipe.
