Cold Cucumber Soup (Oi-naengguk: 오이냉국)

The written recipe and tips are here. http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oi-naengguk Are you looking for something refreshing, light, healthy, and cold cold cold? Yes, how about a cold cucumber side dish? In Korean it’s called oi-naengguk and it’s perfect for summer! The thin cucumber matchsticks soaked in icy cold, sweet, sour, salty, and garlicky brine will please your appetite. The cold temperature is a nice surprise and the crispy but soft texture of the cucumber is wonderful. A great thing about this side dish is that you can make it in 5 minutes, and you don’t need to cook anything at all. Just cut the ingredients and mix. Make this in the summer time, and I guarantee everyone will love it. My cookbook co-writer, Lauren, learned how to make this when she was recipe testing, and got a ton of stars from her family when she served it. They are all fans of oi-naengguk now, and when the book was done Lauren told me it’s one of her favorite Korean dishes. I was surprised! I originally posted an oi-naengguk video years ago, but this one is a little updated and is a vegetarian version, and the video is HD. If you’re looking for the old one, it’s still here. Ingredients (serves 4) 1 large English cucumber (12 ounces) or 2 to 3 kirby cucumbers, chilled 1 clove garlic, minced 1 green onion, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh red chili pepper (optional) 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 4 teaspoons vinegar 5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced (optional) 1 cup cold water 7-8 ice cubes (1 cup) 1- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ground