Ojingeo muchim is a spicy, sweet and tangy dish that’s made with boiled squid and fresh vegetables. Once the squid is cleaned, the dish is pretty easy to put together.
Ojingeo muchim (오징어 무침) is a spicy, sweet and tangy dish that’s made with boiled squid and fresh vegetables. Ojingeo is squid, and muchim refers to the dishes that are made by mixing the prepared ingredients with seasonings. It’s also called ojingeo cho (vinegar) muchim.
Along with ojingeo bokkeum, stir-fried squid and vegetables, ojingeo muchimis one of the most popular ways to prepare squid in Korea. On a personal note, it’s a dish my mother almost always included in her spread of dishes for special occasions.
Cucumber and Korean radish (mu) are common vegetables for this dish. I used a cucumber along with some aromatic vegetables in this recipe to make it simple. I like to use minari, if in season, it adds unique fresh herb taste to the dish. Garlic chives or perilla leaves (kkaennip) are great options as well.
I know if my mother saw this, she would ask “where is the radish?” She would cut some radish into thick match sticks, salt them for 20 minutes or so, and squeeze out the water before tossing with the squid. This avoids the dish from becoming watery. Radish season is coming up, so try it in this dish for an extra crunch factor.
Cleaning the squid can be a chore, but the dish is pretty easy to put together after that. The perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and sour tastes in this dish will surely increase your appetite.
How to clean squid
Grab the body in one hand and the head in the other. Firmly pull apart with a slight twisting motion. The head and innards should easily slip out of the body. Cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. Remove the beak from the tentacles and the skin from the flesh.
For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Ojingeo Muchim (Spicy Squid Salad)
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 medium squid about 14 ounces
- 1 kirby cucumber or 1/2 Korean cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/4 medium red onion thinly sliced
- a few stalks minari water dropwort, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 green or red chili pepper thinly sliced
- 1 scallion finely chopped
Sauce
- 2 teaspoons gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon gochujang Korean red chili pepper paste
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Clean the squid (see note).
- Bring a medium pot of water to a rapid boil. Drop the squid in, and cook briefly, about a minute. Quickly remove, and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and cool.
- Cut the squid into thin bite size strips (about ⅓ - inch thick, 2-inch long). Keep it in the fridge to cool.
- Prepare the vegetables.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together.
- Combine the sauce and squid and mix well. Add the vegetables and toss well. Add more sugar, salt, or and/or vinegar to taste. Serve chilled.
Suzette says
When using baby squid do I prepare them any differently?
Hyosun says
Not really. Just be sure not to overcook the squid. Baby squid will take no time to cook.
Jean says
I never used exact measurement when making this dish…but decided to use your exact measurements and it came out wonderfully. This is my husband’s favorite dish and he really likes your recipe! Now, I can make this dish without worrying if it will come out well…because of your measurements. Thank you so very much!!!
Hyosun says
Glad to hear that, Jean! It’s such a refreshing, appetizing dish especially for summer. Enjoy!
Ladz says
1 of my favorite Korean dishes, I usually wrap it together with the pork meat in samsyeopsal 🙂
jeannie says
this came out perfect…i love all your recipes! they’re spot on and easy to follow. i was born and raised here but my parents are Korean. we don’t always see eye to eye on lots of things but we can always connect when it comes to good Korean food. i actually just recently learned how to make Korean food as an adult using your recipes and my mom is constantly impressed with how much i know now! thank you for posting all of these awesome recipes 🙂
Hyosun says
Oh I’m so happy to hear that, Jeannie! Impressing mom isn’t always an easy thing to do. ha ha!
Elle says
Delicious and refreshing dish! I paired it with hot rice, simple bean sprout soup and thin sheets of toasted seaweed. Thank you for posting this one!
Hyosun says
You’re welcome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you.
Courtney says
The squid salad looks fantastic—I can’t wait to make it. Thank you for posting the recipe; I know my family will love it.
Could you tell me when we should be able to get good Napa cabbages and Korean radishes for kimchi in our area (I’m in metro area of MD)? I really want to try your kimchi recipes this year.
Thanks
Hyosun says
Cabbages and radishes are good right now. Sorry about the delayed response. I got behind with moderating comments during my recent Korea trip.