Oi Naengguk (Korean Chilled Cucumber Soup)

It's hard to believe, but summer has almost drawn to a close. Almost. The dog days seem to have faded, but thanks to Hurricane Irene, the kids are out of school, and there's a stubborn little strain of heat still lingering in the air. As far as I'm concerned, that means it's time to really enjoy the warm-weather foods while I can!

Case in point.

Even if you're not into eating seasonally for ecological or social reasons, I think I'd probably argue in favor of seasonal foods for the sheer pleasure of them. Is there anything better than the first sweet strawberry of the season, or hearty, spice-laden roasted foods to get you through the winter, or a taste of something cool and refreshing on a blistering summer day? As far as I'm concerned, foods are very often just plain better in the right season, whether it's because of sentimental reasons, freshness, or even the temperature. And that's why, before the summer disappears on me, I had to make another batch of oi naengguk.

What the devil, you are asking, as you polish your monocle, is oi naengguk?

Well, my dapper and refined friend, oi naengguk is quite possibly one of my favorite foods, and even more so in the heat of summer. As the title of this post has already made note of, it's a Korean cucumber soup, served cold. The broth is a salty-sour, almost briney affair, with a little hint of sweetness that melds well with the watery, fresh taste of the cucumber. A garnish of hot pepper adds a little bit of bite, which serves to offset and accentuate the cool, refreshing nature of the dish. When you're hot and tired and maybe in a little need of an electrolyte boost, there's really nothing better. On top of that, it's vegan, and aside from chopping up the cucumbers, incredibly low-effort to prepare!

I discovered this soup the way I discover many things in my culinary life--through semi-piteous stalking of Photograzing on Serious Eats. Girl Cooks World posted this recipe back in April, when I happened to have in my fridge a cucumber and no real plans for it; it's been in my bookmarks ever since, because seriously, it is amazing. I've adapted the recipe a little bit, largely due to the ingredients I have on hand at any given point. Give it a try--there's no heating to do, and the ingredients are marvelously un-fussy about what order they're added in, so it's hard to mess up too badly. Trust me... I'd know.


RECIPE:

Oi Naengguk (Chilled Cucumber Soup)
Ingredients:

• 1 regular-sized cucumber or 4 mini-cukes
• 2 shallots or 1/3 medium onion
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar (I used brown rice vinegar)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 green onion, sliced up
• 1 hot pepper, seeded and cut into rings
• (opt.) ice cubes

1. Wash the cucumber(s) thoroughly to remove any waxy coating. Slice them into matchsticks, or something close enough. The recipe says to remove the seeds, but I like them, so I keep them in. If your strips are too long, chop them into halves or thirds, or the soup will be kind of... unwieldy.
2. While you're chopping things into strips, cut the shallots or onion into matchsticks-or-something-like-them, too. (Okay, so my chopping technique could use work. It still tastes good, all right?)

3. Add both to a large bowl, along with the salt. Mix together, and set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, add vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and water. Stir with a fork or a whisk, then add to cucumber bowl.

5. Add the green onion. Mix it all together well. If you're me, or similarly ridiculous, add a small sprinkle of Old Bay and mix in. It'll give the broth a slightly spicy little kick!
6. Chill in the fridge. Serve garnished with rings of hot pepper, and ice if you want it.

This makes about four servings, and if I had a bigger bowl, I'd make twice the amount and eat it all. Not even kidding.

Up tomorrow--something or other to do with all those cute little baby eggplants we're getting from the CSA!