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Miyeok oi naengguk
Chilled seaweed and cucumber soup
Miyeok oi naengguk (미역오이냉국): Korea's chilled summer soup of wakame and cucumber in a tangy vinegar broth
On the hottest days of a Korean summer, from Seoul apartments to farmhouses in Jeolla, this icy cold soup comes to the table with rice and spicy side dishes to cool everyone down. Soft wakame and crunchy cucumber float in a clear, tangy broth of vinegar, a little sugar and soup soy sauce, often with ice cubes bobbing on top. It is very light, with about 2 g of protein per portion, so serve it beside tofu or egg dishes. The common mistake is leaving the dried wakame to soak too long: it swells hugely and turns mushy. Ten minutes is enough. Chef's tip: season the broth slightly stronger than tastes right, because the ice you add at the end will dilute it.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- ¼ oz dried wakame
- 1 cucumbercut into thin matchsticks
- 3 ¼ cups cold waterchilled
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 clove garlicfinely grated
- 1 red chilli (optional)thinly sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 handful ice cubes
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak ¼ oz dried wakame in plenty of cold water for 10 minutes, until soft and silky. Drain, squeeze out the water and cut into bite-sized pieces.
10 minStep 2: Blanch the wakame in boiling water for 10 seconds, then rinse under cold water and squeeze dry. This brightens the colour and takes away any sea smell.
Step 3: In a large bowl, stir 3 ¼ cups cold water, 4 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce, 1 tsp salt and 1 clove garlic until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Taste: it should be clearly sour-sweet and well seasoned.
Step 4: Add the wakame and 1 cucumber, cover and chill for at least 10 minutes so the flavours meet.
Step 5: Just before serving, add 1 handful ice cubes and 1 red chilli and scatter over 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds. Serve very cold in bowls, with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 45 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does miyeok oi naengguk take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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