• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Korean Bapsang logo

  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
    • Noodles and Rice
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Condiments and Sauces
    • Desserts/Sweets
    • Vegetarian/Vegan
    • Slow Cooker/Pressure Cooker
    • Kid-friendly/Mild Dishes
    • Traditional Holiday
      • Seollal (New Year’s Day)
      • Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Featured On
    • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes

    Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)

    Published 07/14/2019. Updated 06/12/2020

    Jump to Recipe

     A classic chilled soup made with cucumber and seaweed (miyeok). It’s a refreshingly tangy soup that’s perfect for hot summer days!

    DSC 4961 3 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)

    Oi naengguk (오이냉국) is a classic Korean chilled soup. Oi means cucumber, and naengguk means chilled soup. It’s one of those dishes that remind me of my childhood summertime meals! My mother made this chilled cucumber soup quite often for us. It’s a refreshingly tangy soup that’s perfect on a hot summer day!

    Cucumber and miyeok (seaweed)

    I use Korean cucumbers which I can easily find around here in summer. You can also use any crunchy cucumbers, such as Kirby, English, Persian, and Japanese varieties.

    Growing up, my mother would always add miyeok to this soup, which is a sea vegetable (edible seaweed). Dried miyeok is a pantry staple for making soups and side dishes. Once soaked, miyeok turns green, plump, and ready to be eaten. However, blanching it briefly in boiling hot water softens the texture and brightens the green color.

    The crunchy cucumber together with slightly chewy and slippery seaweed creates interesting textural contrasts and a flavor combination, making the dish far more interesting than the cucumber alone!

    DSC 4953 2 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)

    Depending on which ingredient is used more, the soup can also be called miyeok naengguk (미역냉국). Some people call it oi miyeok naengguk (오이미역냉국), recognizing both ingredients.

    Simply use more cucumber if you are not adding miyeok.

    How to make Korean chilled cucumber soup

    To make the soup, I season the cucumber and seaweed first with the seasoning ingredients. The soup soy sauce (guk ganjang) and vinegar are important for flavoring this soup. You can make ahead up to this point, and then add cold water and season with salt when ready to use. Don’t forget to drop a couple of ice cubes in right before serving.

    More chilled soup recipes

    Kongguksu (Chilled Soy Milk Noodle Soup)
    Chogyetang (Chilled Chicken Soup)
    Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles)

    DSC 4925 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow  along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC 4974 2 e1563170940691 300x300 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)

    Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)

    4.89 from 9 votes
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Resting time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 Korean cucumber or 2 Kirby (pickling) cucumbers (5 – 6 ounces)
    • 1 cup soaked miyeok, 미역 (seaweed – about 1/2 ounce dried miyeok)
    • 1 Korean green or red chili pepper or scallion

    Seasonings

    • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce (guk ganjang, 국간장)
    • 3 to 4 tablespoons vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Korean red chili pepper flakes
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
    • 4 cups of water
    • salt to taste about ½ teaspoon

    Instructions

    • Cut the cucumber into matchsticks. Finely chop the chili pepper (or scallion).
      DSC 4903 2 640x427 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
    • Prepare the dried seaweed by soaking for 10 to 20 minutes and rinsing well. (See my miyeok guk recipe for more.) Boil water in a small pot, and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Blanch the soaked seaweed briefly, 20 to 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again, squeeze out excess water, and cut into bite size pieces.
      DSC 4908 640x427 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
    • In a medium size bowl, gently toss the vegetables with the seasoning ingredients. Set aside for about 10 minutes. You can make ahead up to this point several hours or a day before, if desired.
      DSC 4915 640x427 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
    • Mix in 4 cups of cold water and season with salt. Start with a half teaspoon of salt, taste and add more if necessary. Refrigerate to chill. Serve in chilled bowls with some ice cubes.
      DSC 4921 640x427 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

    This oi naengguk recipe was originally posted in July 2011. I’ve updated it here with new photos and an improved recipe.

    You may also like:

    • DSC 0209 e1508292591559 300x300 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
      Mu Doenjang Guk (Soybean Paste Radish Soup)
    • DSC 0148 1 e1562298062906 300x300 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
      Gaji Namul (Steamed Eggplant Side Dish)
    • sanjeok recipe 300x300 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
      Sanjeok (Skewered Beef with Asparagus and Mushrooms)
    • DSC 0740 e1425911644472 300x300 - Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
      Dandelion Salad (Mindeulle Muchim)
    « Kimchi Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles with Kimchi)
    Oiji Muchim (Spicy Seasoned Cucumber Pickles) »
    955 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jane says

      August 05, 2023 at 11:41 am

      Remember my mother-in-law making this soup, and now I’m making for the first time, thanks to you! Wondering how far in advance one can add the water to the seasoned veggies? I don’t want them to get water-logged, but figured it’d be nice to get it colder in the fridge. Thanks for this recipe, and thanks for your amazing blog!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 05, 2023 at 11:21 pm

        You can chill the finished soup in the fridge until it’s cold for about an hour or two. Also, add some ice before serving.

        Reply
    2. Hanna o says

      July 31, 2021 at 2:08 pm

      When you refer to “vinegar” do you mean rice wine vinegar or regular white vinegar?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 01, 2021 at 8:44 pm

        It can be either. I normally use Korean brown rice vinegar (현미식초) for Korean cooking, but even in Korean there are many different clear vinegar types used in cooking, including white vinegar.

        Reply
    3. jenny says

      August 28, 2014 at 9:48 pm

      ALSO VERY REFRESHING WITH LEMON SLICES

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 29, 2014 at 12:25 am

        Never thought of that, but I’m sure it is. Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Anonymous says

      July 11, 2012 at 5:25 pm

      Это прекраснейший суп из огурцов. Русская окрошка также помогает утолить жажду в жаркую погоду. Обожаю корейскую кухню и считаю ее самой сбалансированной мире.

      Reply
    5. bellacorea says

      July 11, 2012 at 7:38 am

      레시피는 참 간단하고 쉬운데 왜 저는 할때마다 엄마가 만드시는 오이냉국 맛이 안날까요? ^^ 손끝에서 나오는 정성이 아직도 한참 부족한가 봅니다! 레시피 잘보고갑니다~

      Reply
    6. Hyosun Ro says

      September 02, 2011 at 12:37 pm

      Thanks, Kevin!

      Reply
    7. Kevin says

      September 02, 2011 at 11:07 am

      This cool soup would be perfect on a hot summer day!

      Reply
    8. Hyosun Ro says

      July 29, 2011 at 4:29 am

      Thank you Kazia! Hope you beat the heat with this soup.

      Reply
    9. Kazia Jankowski says

      July 28, 2011 at 9:06 pm

      Soup is my favorite, but like you said it’s been too hot so I haven’t been able to eat it. Thank you for changing that with this recipe!

      Reply
    4.89 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Korean Bapsang

    Korean Bapsang Author
    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

    Never Miss a Recipe

    Trending Recipes

    • Spicy pork bulgogi served with lettuce wraps and ssamjang Jeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Pork Bulgogi) 54.2k views

    • A 6-photo collage of 15 Korean vegetable side dishes 15 Vegetable Side Dishes (Banchan) 49.6k views

    • Spicy Cucumber Side Dish Oi Muchim (Spicy Cucumber Salad) 40.4k views

    • kimchi stew with tofu in an earthen pot with the lid laid on the side of the pot Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew) 38.3k views

    • Stir-fried glass noodles with beef and vegetables in a square bowl Japchae (Stir-Fried Starch Noodles with Beef and Vegetables) 37.4k views

    • Doenjang jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew) Doenjang Jjigae (Soybean Paste Stew with Pork and Vegetables) 37k views

    As Featured On:

       

    Footer

    Korean Bapsang New Logo

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2025 · All rights reserved · Korean Bapsang

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.