Korean Spicy Cold Noodles (Bibim Guksu) Recipe

bowl of Korean Bibim Guksu recipe or spicy cold noodle salad

5 from 1 vote

Korean Spicy Cold Noodles (Bibim Guksu) Recipe

An easy and delicious recipe that only takes 15 minutes from start to finish: Bibim Guksu or Korean Spicy Cold Mixed Noodles! A go-to meal and humble dish that is ridiculously easy to make. And so good! The gochujang-based sauce is bright, tangy, and spicy-sweet. The thin Someyon noodles are perfectly chewy and twisty. Top with spicy kimchi and a soft-boiled egg for a complete meal. Add fresh veggies of choice to round it out!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: Bibim Guksu, Cold Noodles, Korean, Somen, Somyeon, Spicy

Servings:

Calories: 801kcal

Author: Lis Lam

Equipment

Colander
Medium cooking pot
tongs

Ingredients

10 oz/ 285g Somyeon (Somen) *Korean or Japanese thin wheat noodles

Sauce

2 Tbsp Gochujang *Korean chili paste
2 Tbsp rice vinegar *white vinegar or apple vinegar also works
2 Tbsp sesame oil *plus more for drizzling
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic *minced
1/2 cup kimchi + kimchi juice

Additional Toppings: (optional)

1/2 cup julienned cucumber, divided
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage, divided
2 soft or hard-boiled egg, halved (1 for each serving)
sesame seeds

Instructions

Cook noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boil. When the water comes to a boil, add Somyeon noodles. Cook according to manufacturer's instructions. (The noodles should be soft but not overcooked, about 3-4 minutes.) Drain and rinse with cold water until noodles are cold to the touch.
Make sauce. While the cooled noodles continue to drain, make the sauce. In a large bowl, add sauce ingredients. Mix with a spoon until well combined and no clumps remain. Set aside. (The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 3-5 days beforehand.)
Mix noodles and sauce. Add drained noodles to the sauce and mix well.
Season with kimchi and kimchi juice. Add kimchi and juice and mix well. Drizzle with additional sesame oil if the noodles look dry.
Serve and enjoy! Evenly divide between two bowls. Scrape all the remaining sauce + kimchi onto the noodles. Top with cucumber, red cabbage, egg, and sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately, with more sesame oil for drizzling if needed.

Video

Notes

*If you'd like to serve this as a side for many people to enjoy, omit the eggs. Add a big handful of mixed green salad mix, julienned cucumber, and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.

Tips:

Be careful not to overcook. The texture of the Somyeon noodles is everything!
Rinse noodles with cold water. Stops the cooking process and ensures the noodles are perfectly chilled. This is a cold noodle dish, after all!
Add more sesame oil. If the noodles are dry while mixing, add a drizzle or more of sesame oil. It will help the noodles to unstick.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Since kimchi is a fermented food item and changes flavor as it ages, the final taste of the dish may need adjustment before serving. Before plating, I taste and adjust seasonings accordingly: if it's too salty, add a pinch of sugar. If it's bland, add a splash more kimchi juice.

Nutrition