I like to think of myself as a noodle connoisseur, but usually when I think of noodles I think of them being in a hot soup. However, Seattle went through a brutal heatwave this summer and I wanted to avoid anything that was hot. We needed some cold meals for this weather.
Luckily, I was inspired by a K-drama to try a Korean cold noodle.
The heat from this dish is not from temperature, but from gochujang. Gochujang is very popular in Korean cooking. It’s a fermented red chili paste that is both savory and sweet, which makes it a perfect condiment.
Depending on your local Asian market, they may or may not have the thin Korean buckwheat noodles. We used soba noodles, which are the Japanese version of buckwheat noodles.
Either noodle will work, just make sure to check if they are indeed gluten free. I’ve come across a lot of buckwheat noodles that are actually made of a blend instead of 100% buckwheat. Buckwheat is not wheat!
Since the noodles are spicy, we chose to top them with some refreshing cucumber and pear. Daikon radish and apples are also good topping alternatives. They give this dish a crisp crunch that adds to the texture. We kept this recipe vegetarian with just the egg, but cold slices of cooked pork belly is also a popular topping option for this dish.
Keep your soba in your sauce, not the floor,
Your favorite alternative chefs, K & T
Bibim Nengmyun (Spicy Cold Soba Noodles)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces soba noodles cooked per package instructions
Sauce
- ¼ cup gochujang
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1½ tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsps sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Toppings
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- ½ small cucumber julienned
- ½ asian pear julienned
Instructions
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After cooking the soba noodles, rinse with cold water to keep them from sticking together and to let them cool.
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In a large bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients.
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Toss the noodles in the sauce until well coated.
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Serve noodles with ½ a hard boiled egg, cucumber, and pear on top