A collection of delicious Korean recipes you can try with summer vegetables!
Have you enjoyed all the vegetables that summer offers? If you want to eat more fresh seasonal vegetables or need more ideas for cooking them, I’ve got you covered! Here are 23 delicious recipes made with some of the most common summer vegetables in Korean cuisine. The recipes included here are dishes that use each of the following vegetables as a main ingredient:
- oh (cucumbers)
- hobak (courgettes)
- gaji (eggplant)
- kkaennip (perilla leaves)
- gochu (green chili peppers)
Oi (cucumbers)
You can make these cucumber dishes with any crisp cucumber with thin to medium skin. I find that pickled cucumbers (aka Kirby) work really well with Korean dishes. If available, try Korean cucumbers. They are plentiful in the Korean markets around here in the summer. Korean cucumbers are light green, long and thin, bumpy and thin-skinned. They are less seedy, very crunchy and tasty.
1. Oi Muchim (spicy cucumber salad)
2. Oi Kimchi (Cucumber Kimchi)
3. Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)
4. Oiji Muchim (spicy cucumber pickles)
5. Oiji (pickled cucumbers)
6.Oi Naengguk (cold cucumber soup)
7. Oi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Cucumbers)
8. Jangajji (vegetable pickles)
Hobak (zucchini)
You can use any variety of zucchini for these Korean dishes, such as gray zucchini, black beauty, etc. Korean zucchini is also available in the summer. They have a light green color, thin skin and delicate yellowish pulp.
9. Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-fried Zucchini)
10. Hobak Buchim (zucchini pancake)
11. Hobak Jeon (zucchini stir-fried in egg batter)
12. Gochujang Stew with Zucchini
13. Hobak Mandu (zucchini dumplings)
Gaji (eggplant)
Korean/Asian eggplants are thin type with soft skin and sweet flesh. You may find them at local groceries and farmers markets without a special trip to a Korean/Asian market.
14. Gaji Namul (Steamed Eggplant)
15. Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplant)
16. Gaji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Eggplant)
17. Gaji Hobak Muchim (grilled aubergines and courgettes)
18. Salary Mari (eggplant rolls)
Kkaennip (perilla leaves)
The Kkaennip (깻잎) plant is a species of perilla that is part of the mint family. In Korean homes there can never be too many of these wonderfully scented leaves. Perilla plants are very easy to grow. If you are interested in growing them, look for seedlings in Korean markets in spring. You can also easily find seeds online (like Etsy and Amazon).
19. Kkaennip Jjim (Steamed Perilla Leaves)
20. Kaennip Kimchi (Perilla Kimchi)
21. Kkaennip Jangajji (pickled perilla leaves)
This is part of the vegetable pickle recipe.
22. Kkaennip Jeon (Stir-fried Stuffed Perilla Leaves)
Gochu (chili pepper)
There are many other types of Korean chili peppers, each with its own flavor and level of heat. Koreans often enjoy fresh green chilies dipped in ssamjang, a doenjang (된장, Korean fermented soybean paste). The recipe here offers a different take on how to enjoy fresh chilies with a similar sauce.
23. Gochu Doenjang Muchim (Green Chillies Seasoned with Doenjang)
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