Korean Cucumber Salad Recipe- Oi Sangchae or Oi Muchim- Refined Sugar Free Option

I love cucumbers- they are so versatile as an ingredient! They can be eaten plain, in a greens salad, made into dill pickles, sliced up and mixed with yogurt to make an Indian raita or Greek/Turkish tzatziki, in gazpacho, or even cooked like in this baked herbed cucumber recipe. But I have to admit, my favorite way to use cucumbers is in Asian inspired dishes, like this cold Korean cucumber soup called oi naengguk. It is out of this world. And Asian cucumber salad is terrific- I don't usually use an exact recipe- I tend to just throw together a bit of soy sauce, sweetener, lemon juice or vinegar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and an allium family member (onion, garlic, scallions), etc... and call it a day. But since I know some people prefer more precise recipes, here's how you make oi sangchae or oi muchim (not really sure what the difference between the two of them are- they seem to be exactly the same thing)- a Korean seasoned cucumber salad. Spicy and delicious and perfect for a hot summer day. Also perfect as a component for bibimbap, a delicious Korean dish that I'll be sharing the recipe for soon, hopefully on Sunday.
This recipe can easily be made GAPS and Paleo legal or vegan.

Korean Cucumber Salad Recipe- Oi Sangchae or Oi Muchim

Ingredients:
6 small cucumbers
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, but you can also use rice vinegar or white vinegar)
2 teaspoons honey or sugar or other sweetener.
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 scallion, or 1/2 small onion
1 teaspoon (gluten free) soy sauce or coconut aminos if you want to make it soy free/GAPS/Paleo legal (or even leave out entirely- it works just as well)
1-3 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 pinch hot pepper flakes (or less, or leave out entirely)

Instructions:
1. Slice the cucumbers thinly. I prefer to slice them on the thinnest cut with my mandolin, but if you don't have a mandolin that's fine- just slice them as thin as you can.

2. Salt the cucumbers and let sit for 20 minutes.

3. Squeeze the liquid out of the cucumbers.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients. If you're using raw honey, you might find it easiest to first mix all the liquids together with the honey to dissolve it, add that to the cucumbers and then add everything else.

Enjoy!

Are you a cucumber fan? What is your favorite cucumber recipe? Does this look like a recipe you'd try?

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