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Chilled Sesame-Soy Korean Noodles with Gochujang

Chilled Sesame-Soy Korean Noodles with Gochujang

By Courtney HillApril 25, 2023

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    30 minutes
  • Rating

Bibim guksu, which translates from the Korean as “mixed noodles,” is a refreshing cold noodle dish that’s a perfect meal on a hot summer day. The most common version of bibim guksu is red and fiery with kimchi and gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste), but this recipe takes a milder, more soy- and sesame-centric approach to the flavoring. (We do still use a little gochujang to add body and lots of umami to the dressing, but not enough for intense heat.) Somen is the Japanese name for the type of dried wheat noodle to use here; in Korean they are called somyeon. If somen is not available, soba, or Japanese buckwheat noodles, is a good alternative. If you wish to make it more substantial, top each serving with slivers of hard-cooked egg.

Tip

Don’t forget to thoroughly rinse the noodles after cooking. A good rinse under running cold water removes excess starch, stops the cooking and quickly cools the noodles. Then make sure to drain the noodles well—shake and toss them in the colander to remove excess moisture—so the finished dish isn’t watered down.

Ingredients
  • 3

    tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2

    tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more to serve

  • 1 ½

    tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 1 ½

    tablespoons white sugar

  • 1

    tablespoon gochujang

  • 1

    medium garlic clove, finely grated

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 10-12

    ounces somen noodles (see headnote)

  • 2

    cups shredded napa cabbage

  • 1

    medium carrot, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater

  • 2

    scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

  • Sesame seeds, toasted, to serve

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, gochujang, garlic and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Step 2

Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook, stirring often, until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water, tossing constantly, until cool to the touch, then drain again, shaking the colander to remove as much water as possible.

Step 3

To the sauce mixture, add the noodles, cabbage and carrot; toss well. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the scallions and sesame seeds and drizzle with additional sesame oil.

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