Sweet and Sour Bibim Guksu (Spicy Mixed Noodles) with Crunchy Cucumber
A noodle dish mixed until moist and crunchy with pickled shredded cucumber and aged 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 bibim guksu keeps a delightfully moist yet crunchy texture by mixing the liquid released from pickled cucumbers right into the seasoning sauce. Letting the sauce rest in the refrigerator beforehand deepens its savory umami, making it wonderful for a light one-bowl lunch.
- Servings
- 1 serving
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Thin wheat noodles (somyeon)100 g
- Cucumber1
- Cabbagea little
- Boiled egg1
- Toasted sesame oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
Bibim guksu 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
- Minced garlic1/2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, such as soybean sprouts, lettuce, carrots, perilla leaves, or cabbage.
- If you make a large batch of the sauce and portion it into small containers in the refrigerator, it will keep for up to a month without spoiling; when storing long-term, prepare it without the toasted sesame oil or toasted sesame seeds.
Steps
Make the bibim guksu sauce
The sauce is the most important part of bibim guksu.
Combine all the seasonings except the toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds, mix well, and let it age in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Rather than eating it right after making it, giving it time to age allows the seasonings to meld together, mellowing the sauce's flavor and boosting the savoriness.
This seasoning recipe is for 2 servings, but if you make a large batch, divide it into small containers, and store them in the refrigerator, you can enjoy it for a month without spoiling.
If storing long term, just leave out the toasted sesame oil or toasted sesame seeds to increase shelf life.
Slice the ingredients
Finely julienne the cucumber and cabbage.
Pickle the cucumber
To the julienned cucumber, add 1/3 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar...
Add 1 tbsp vinegar, mix, and let pickle for 10 minutes so it wilts slightly. Take out the cucumber.
Do not discard the liquid that comes out; you can add it when mixing the noodles.
Boil the thin wheat noodles
Add the thin wheat noodles (somyeon) to rolling boiling water and cook for 3 minutes to 3 minutes 30 seconds.
While rinsing under cold water, rub the noodles with your hands to wash away the surface starch so they turn out springy.
Drain in a colander to remove the water.
Toss with the sauce
Add the thin wheat noodles and 2 to 3 tbsp of the sauce to the cucumber pickling liquid, and finally add toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds and toss evenly.
Taste it and add more sauce if it is too bland, adjusting only the vinegar to your taste to finish.
Serve
Place the noodles on a plate and top with the julienned cucumber, shredded cabbage, and boiled egg to finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Rather than eating the sauce right after making it, letting it age in the refrigerator for a day or two allows the seasonings to meld together, mellowing the flavor and boosting the savoriness.
- Do not throw away the liquid released from pickling the cucumber; mix it into the noodles along with the sauce.
- While rinsing the noodles in cold water, rub them with your hands to remove the starch so they turn out springy.
FAQ
How should I store the sauce to keep it for a long time?
Mix the sauce without toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds, divide it into airtight containers, and refrigerate; it will keep for about a month without spoiling.
Should I throw away the liquid left after pickling the cucumber?
Do not throw it away; add it along with the sauce when mixing the thin wheat noodles to keep them moist.
Are there other vegetables that go well besides cucumber?
Along with cabbage, lettuce, carrots, soybean sprouts, and perilla leaves from your fridge also pair nicely.
