In Seoul, once the Summer hits, many of the mom-and-pop shops switch up their menus. Refreshing, cold noodle dishes become the hit dishes. One of my favorites is this Cold Kimchi Mixed Noodles (known in Korean as Kimchi Bibim Guksu). It's refreshing, delicious and easy-to-make if you have aged Kimchi in the fridge. Let me show you how to make it in less than 10 minutes!
The key to this dish is using aged Kimchi. Don't use freshly made Kimchi as the sour flavor hasn't developed. This sourness adds another layer of deep flavor to the sauce!
Also, feel free to skip the cucumber and lettuce - if you don't see it in your refrigerator. The noodles taste incredible with just the kimchi sauce!
But if you will take a trip to the market - make sure to get some Samgyeopsal (or any thinly sliced pork pieces). Eat the two together and it will taste like... Summer in Seoul!
Bon Appetit Neighbors! 🤗
Dan-yul out~ 🕺
Ingredients
- ½ cup of Aged Kimchi
- Small handful of Chicory Lettuce
- Small piece of Cucumber (Garnish, Optional)
- 1 Hardboiled Egg (Garnish, Optional)
- Small handful of Somyeon Noodles (About size of a quarter)
Marinade Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of Gochujang
- 1 Tablespoon of Gochugaru
- 1 Tablespoon of Sugar
- ½ Tablespoon of Honey
- 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
- Few shakes of Sesame Seeds
Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly)
- 150-300 grams Samgyeopsal (Korean Pork Belly)
- Few shakes of Salt
- Few shakes of Black Pepper
Instructions
Prep Step
- Place kimchi into a BOWL. Use kitchen scissors and cut them up into smaller pieces. (This way your chopping board doesn't get stained orange)
- Roughly chop the chicory lettuce into smaller piece. Julienne your cucumber into thin slices.
- Hardboil an egg. Peel, cut-in-half and set aside.
Make Spicy Marinade
- Add Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon), Gochujang (1 Tablespoon), Gochugaru (1 Tablespoon), Sugar (1 Tablespoon), Honey (½ Tablespoon), Vinegar (1 Tablespoon), Sesame Oil (1 Tablespoon) and Sesame Seeds (few shakes). Mix thoroughly.
Cook Somyeon Noodles
- Bring a pot of water up to boil. Add-in a few drops of cooking oil into the water. (While you wait for it boil, set aside some cold water in a cup)
- Once water comes to a boil, place the Somyeon noodles in. The pot will start to foam up. When it does, add a drizzle of cold water. The foam will settle back down. Then it will rise up again - add cold water again and repeat this process 3-4 more times. After a total of 4-5 times, the noodles should be ready. You should check by mashing a few noodles in between your fingers - they should be soft.
- If they're cooked, turn off the heat and drain the noodles immediately. Run the noodles under cold water and cool them down completely. Leave them in a strainer and drip-off excess water.
Mix Noodles
- Place the chopped Kimchi into the spicy marinade. Give it a thorough mix.
- In a separate bowl, add your cold noodles. Then add a few pieces of the chicory lettuce. Then place-in a few spoonfuls of the spicy sauce. Add-to-taste! Then use your chopsticks and toss them in the sauce. Get everything evenly coated. Add more sauce if you need - the more sauce, the tastier!
- Garnish the noodles with cucumber strips and an hardboiled egg on the side.
Samgyeopsal Strips
- You don't want your noodles to sit for too long! So quickly grab a frying pan and place it on medium-high heat. Once hot, place the pork belly pieces on. Cook the pork belly until both sides get a nice crispy edge to them. Season with salt and pepper. Then eat with the noodles --> Bon Appetit!
christiebeewilliams says
Thank you for such easy recipes. My husband LOVES Korean food. He has diabetes and is currently eating Keto/Low carb. This was an easy dish to adapt to Keto by substituting the sugar and using Zoodles instead. He said it was amazing!!