Kimchi Bazaar
Cold cucumber soup with sliced cucumber, herbs, and quail eggs in a dark bowl

Stews & Soups

Oi Naengguk (Cold Cucumber Soup)

Prep

15 min

Servings

3

Steps

  1. 1

    Toss the sliced cucumber with salt and let sit 10 minutes to draw out excess water.

  2. 2

    Squeeze the cucumber gently and set aside, reserving it separately from the liquid it released.

  3. 3

    Whisk together cold water, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and gochugaru if using.

  4. 4

    Chill the broth in the fridge until very cold, at least 20 minutes.

  5. 5

    Just before serving, combine the chilled broth with the drained cucumber.

  6. 6

    Top with green onion and sesame seeds.

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Did you know — Korean culture

Oi naengguk is a defining summer dish in Korean home cooking specifically because it needs no stove time at all — a genuinely refreshing, zero-cook soup built for hot weather, standing in contrast to the hot stews and braises that dominate the rest of the year.

Salting the cucumber before it ever meets the broth solves the same problem it solves in most cold cucumber preparations: cucumber is mostly water, and if that water isn't drawn out and discarded first, it dilutes the broth's carefully balanced vinegar-soy seasoning right as the dish is served.

Chilling the broth separately, rather than just adding ice to a room-temperature mixture, keeps the flavor concentrated. Ice cubes melt and water down the broth as they sit; a broth that's already properly cold from the fridge stays at full strength.

Oi naengguk is a defining summer dish in Korean home cooking specifically because it requires no stove time at all — a genuinely refreshing, zero-cook soup built for hot weather, standing in contrast to the hot stews and braises that dominate the rest of the year.

Troubleshooting

Broth watery or diluted? The cucumber likely wasn't salted and drained first — that step is what keeps its water from diluting the seasoned broth.

Soup not cold enough? Chill the broth well in advance rather than relying on ice, which waters it down as it melts.

Flavor too sharp or vinegary? Balance it with a touch more sugar, or dilute slightly with more cold water — the ratio is easy to adjust to taste.

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