Sweet and Sour Kimchi Bibim Guksu (Spicy Mixed Noodles with Kimchi)
A refreshing thin wheat noodle dish tossed with well-fermented kimchi and a sweet, spicy, and tangy gochujang sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This noodle dish combines aged winter kimchi and springy thin wheat noodles tossed in a special sweet and sour sauce. Pouring cold water into the pot while boiling the noodles is the key secret to achieving a chewy texture. It comes together easily in 20 minutes to revive any lost appetite.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 20 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Egg1 (made into egg garnish)
- Kimchi2 stalks
- Cucumber1/3
- Seaweed flakes
- Thin wheat noodles (somyeon)200-250 g
Bibim sauce
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)5 tbsp
- Vinegar4 tbsp
- Fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Lemon-lime soda (chilsung cider) (or cola)3 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Adjust the amount of vinegar or sugar to suit your personal taste.
Steps
Fry the egg into a thin sheet (jidan) and julienne it, then julienne the cucumber.
Shake off the seasonings inside the kimchi, squeeze out excess liquid lightly, and slice it thinly.
Toss the sour kimchi with 0.5 tsp sugar and a little toasted sesame oil.
Add all the bibim sauce ingredients in the listed amounts and mix well.
Adjust the amount of vinegar or sugar to suit your personal taste.
Add the thin wheat noodles to rolling boiling water and cook. Once it boils up, pour in 1 cup of cold water and bring back to a boil.
About 2 minutes after it comes to a boil, rinse quickly in cold water.
Adding cold water midway like this makes the noodles wonderfully chewy.
Top the noodles with all the prepared garnishes.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adding cold water midway like this makes the noodles wonderfully chewy.
FAQ
What is the secret to boiling thin wheat noodles so they stay chewy?
When the water boils up, pouring in one cup of cold water and bringing it to a boil again makes the noodle texture much firmer and chewier.
Can I substitute another ingredient for the lemon-lime soda in the sauce?
You can use an equal amount of cola instead of lemon-lime soda to add sweetness and flavor.
How do you pre-season the kimchi?
Shake off the seasonings, chop the kimchi thinly, and toss it with half a teaspoon of sugar and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Can I use medium-thick noodles (jungmyeon) or knife-cut noodles (kalguksu) instead of thin wheat noodles? AI-generated
Generally, medium-thick noodles also go well with bibim sauce, but you should adjust by increasing the boiling time according to the thickness of the noodles.
