Oi muchim is the spicy cucumber salad that keeps a Korean table cool in summer: crisp cucumber slices tossed in a punchy gochugaru dressing. It is one of the quickest banchan to make, and it pairs beautifully with grilled meats and rich stews. The cucumbers stay crunchy, and the dressing does all the talking. It is bright, refreshing, and dangerously easy to eat by the handful.
Cold crunch under a bright red dressing
The cucumber is ice-cold and shatteringly crisp, coated in a dressing that is sweet, tangy, and gently fiery, with garlic, scallion, and sesame in every bite. Salting the cucumber first keeps it crunchy and prevents a watery pool at the bottom of the bowl. Serve it chilled, and do not make it too far ahead, since the crunch fades. It is the side dish that makes everything else on the table taste even better, and a milder version is just a matter of halving the gochugaru.
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