Oi Naengguk, Chilled Cucumber Soup
Oi naengguk is a cold cucumber soup Koreans reach for in the heat of summer, half soup and half drink, served so cold it fogs the bowl. The broth is a simple balance of sour, savory, and a whisper of sweet, poured over ribbons of raw cucumber and sharpened with garlic and gochugaru. A small measure of tamari carries the savory note that a cold broth needs, kept light and leaned on sparingly, while a mashed date stands in for the pinch of sugar. Make the broth ahead and keep it in the fridge, then add the cucumber and ice at the last moment.
Ingredients
- 2 mediums Cucumber, julienned
- 3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Low-sodium tamari
- 1 clove Garlic, grated
- 1 piece Deglet noor dates, pitted, mashed with 1 tbsp (15 ml) hot water into a paste
- 1 tsp Gochugaru
- 2 Scallions, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
Method
- Stir 3 cups (710 ml) cold water with the rice vinegar, tamari, grated garlic, and date paste in a bowl, then chill it thoroughly, at least 30 minutes. Naengguk means cold soup, and the broth has to be genuinely icy, so the colder you start the better it holds up once the cucumber goes in.
- Add the julienned cucumber, gochugaru, and scallions to the cold broth right before serving. Cucumber loses its snap the longer it sits in liquid, so it goes in last to keep the crunch that makes this a soup you drink and chew at once.
- Drop a few ice cubes into each bowl and finish with the toasted sesame. The ice keeps it cold at the table on a hot day, and the sesame floats on top with its nutty aroma; a teaspoon of tamari and the vinegar do the seasoning that salt alone would.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 35 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber, 180 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
