Kimchi Bibim Guksu (Spicy Kimchi Cold Noodles)
A one-bowl noodle dish of chewy thin wheat noodles tossed with sour aged kimchi and a spicy-sweet 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 is a one-bowl noodle dish made by tossing thin wheat noodles with well-fermented kimchi and a sweet and tangy seasoning sauce that awakens the appetite. If you mix the sauce ingredients ahead of time without the sesame oil and sesame seeds and let it age for about a day, the savory umami flavor comes alive even more. Rinsing the boiled noodles vigorously in cold water to wash away surface starch gives them an even bouncier texture.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 4 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Thin wheat noodles (somyeon)200 g
- Mustard greens kimchi (gat-kimchi) (or aged sour kimchi)1/2 cup
- Cucumber1/2
- Boiled egg1
Bibim noodle seasoning sauce
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- You can also use well-ripened napa cabbage kimchi or aged sour kimchi (mukeunji).
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
I prepared mustard greens kimchi that I made the year before last and let ferment thoroughly.
You can also use well-ripened napa cabbage kimchi or aged sour kimchi. Here are the boiled egg, cucumber, and thin wheat noodles.
Make the sauce and slice the ingredients
Mix together all the seasoning sauce ingredients except the toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Letting it age for about a day blends the flavors nicely and enhances the umami.
Even when you make a large batch to keep, leaving out just the sesame oil and sesame seeds allows you to portion it and store it easily for a month or two.
Finely chop the kimchi, and if it is very sour, add a little sugar to balance the acidity.
Cut the cucumber into thin matchsticks.
Boil the noodles
Add the thin wheat noodles to rolling boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes and 30 seconds...
Rinse them while kneading vigorously in cold water to remove the starch so you can enjoy chewy noodles.
Drain them thoroughly in a colander.
Toss together
Place the noodles and kimchi in a bowl and toss with the seasoning sauce.
Add toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for nutty aroma to finish.
Finish
Place the noodles in a bowl and top with cucumber matchsticks and the boiled egg to finish Kimchi bibim guksu.
The sour kimchi with just a few fresh, fragrant cucumber slices is plenty delicious on its own.
Sweet and tangy bibim guksu uses simple ingredients, but it makes a wonderful one-bowl dish to revive your spring appetite.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you mix all the seasoning sauce ingredients together except the toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds and let it age for about a day, the flavors harmonize and the umami improves.
- Even if you make a large batch to keep, leaving out the toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds lets you portion and store it easily for a month or two.
- Chop the kimchi finely, and if it is very sour, add a little sugar to neutralize the sour taste.
- Knead and rinse the noodles in cold water to remove surface starch so you can enjoy bouncy noodles.
FAQ
Can I use regular napa cabbage kimchi instead of mustard greens kimchi?
You can chop well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi or aged sour kimchi (mukeunji) and use it as a substitute.
What should I do if the kimchi is too sour?
When the sourness of the kimchi is strong, tossing in a small amount of sugar will gently mellow out the acidity.
What should I keep in mind when making a large batch of seasoning sauce to store?
Mix the sauce without the toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds, portion it out, and you can keep it in the refrigerator for about a month or two.
Is there a trick to cooking thin wheat noodles so they stay chewy?
After boiling the noodles in bubbling water, rubbing them thoroughly with your hands in cold water to wash away the starch keeps their elastic texture intact.
