Korean Cucumber Doenjang Salad
Quick answer
- Total time
- 10 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste, carries this cucumber side dish, with only half a tablespoon of chili flakes, and it tastes gentler than the red, spicy oi-muchim.
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The cucumbers are cut fairly thick and salted only briefly to stay cold, juicy and crisp under a thin coat of paste.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 2 cucumbers, dry the skins, and slice them into half-moons or diagonal pieces about 0.5 cm thick.
Keep the pieces even so they season at the same rate and do not collapse quickly.
- 2
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt evenly over the sliced cucumber and let it stand for only 5 minutes.
Move on as soon as moisture beads on the surface, because longer salting softens the crunch.
- 3
Squeeze the salted cucumber lightly by hand, then press it with a paper towel to remove surface moisture.
Do not crush the pieces, but remove visible water so the doenjang seasoning stays thick.
- 4
In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon doenjang, 1/2 tablespoon gochugaru, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves and no dry clumps remain.
- 5
Add the drained cucumber to the seasoning and toss gently with your fingertips, turning the pieces rather than kneading them.
Stop when every surface is lightly coated, because rough mixing breaks the cucumber and releases more water.
- 6
Add 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp ground sesame, then fold only once or twice.
Check that the doenjang dressing coats the cucumber thinly and evenly, and serve immediately while crisp.
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