Refreshing Kimchi Mari Guksu (Cold Noodles in Kimchi Broth)
A refreshing summer cold noodle dish tossed in a clean broth made with aged sour kimchi brine and seasonings, without store-bought broth.
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 →
Make a refreshing cold soup without store-bought broth by combining kimchi brine and bottled water with tuna extract sauce and vinegar. Aged sour kimchi is rinsed and lightly re-seasoned, then topped with slushy ice for a perfect one-bowl summer meal.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Thin wheat noodles (somyeon)200 g
- Aged sour kimchi1/2 clove, 2/3 cup (sliced)
- Cucumber1/4
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Boiled egg
Kimchi seasoning
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1/2 tbsp
- Honey1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
Seasoning
- Kimchi brine1 1/2 cups
- Bottled water4 cups
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Vinegar2–3 tbsp
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)2 tbsp
- Salta little
- Prepared yellow mustard1 tsp
- For a lighter or diet-friendly meal, you can use acorn jelly (dotorimuk) or konjac instead of thin wheat noodles.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
This is about half of 1/4 head (1 quarter) of aged sour kimchi.
You also need 1/3 cucumber, Cheongyang chili pepper, boiled egg, prepared yellow mustard, and 1 1/2 cups of kimchi brine.
Slice the ingredients
Finely julienne the cucumber and thinly slice the Cheongyang chili pepper.
Season the kimchi
Place the kimchi in 2 cups of bottled water and swish it around to rinse. Do not discard this water, as it will be used as the cold soup base.
Slice the kimchi crosswise into thin strips so it is easy to pick up.
Add 1/2 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp honey, and a little toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds to the kimchi, then mix well.
Rinsing aged sour kimchi or well-fermented kimchi like this and lightly seasoning it again makes it delicious on its own.
Adjust the sugar depending on how sour your kimchi is.
Make the cold kimchi broth
Pour 1 1/2 cups of kimchi brine and 2 cups of bottled water into the 2 cups of kimchi rinse water. (You need 4 cups of bottled water in total, including the 2 cups used to rinse the kimchi.)
Strain out the seasoning solids through a sieve for a clean broth.
Season the broth.
For umami, add 2 tbsp tuna extract sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar...
Add 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard, then mix thoroughly.
Once the sugar and mustard are well dissolved, taste and adjust with salt, and tweak the amount of vinegar or sugar to your liking.
Place the prepared cold broth in the freezer for about an hour or two so a light layer of slushy ice forms.
Finish the dish
Boil the thin wheat noodles, place them in a bowl, top with the kimchi, julienned cucumber, chili pepper, and boiled egg, then pour over the cold broth to finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Do not discard the water used to rinse the kimchi; use it as the base for the cold broth.
- Adjust the sugar depending on how sour your kimchi is.
- Once the sugar and prepared yellow mustard are fully dissolved, taste and adjust with salt, tweaking the vinegar or sugar as needed.
- Place the prepared cold broth in the freezer for about an hour or two so a light layer of slushy ice forms.
FAQ
Can I make a flavorful broth without store-bought naengmyeon broth?
Yes. By mixing kimchi brine with bottled water and seasoning it with tuna extract sauce, vinegar, sugar, and prepared yellow mustard, you can create a rich, savory cold soup without any store-bought broth.
How long should I freeze the broth to get slushy ice?
Placing the finished cold broth in the freezer for about 1 to 2 hours will give you the right amount of slushy ice.
Can I substitute other ingredients for the thin wheat noodles?
For a lighter meal, you can use acorn jelly (dotorimuk) or konjac noodles instead of thin wheat noodles.
