Chewy noodles, cold, spicy, sweet, tangy, and super refreshing for summer. Bibim Naengmyeon directly translates to “cold mixed noodles”. It’s the dish that I MUST have every summer!
There’s mul-naengmyeon, which is the non-spicy version, and it comes with more broth. I prefer the spicy version (bibim naengmyeon) because there is something about it that makes you keep craving for more. It’s spicy, tangy, sweet, and I just love the texture of those chewy noodles. When you mix everything together (hence why it’s called “bibim”), everything just tastes so good and refreshing.
What type of noodles should I use?
There are different types of naengmyeon noodles, but I always get one type – chik naengmyeon (칡냉면). These are darker, and made with arrowroot starch. I find that they’re much more chewier than other types of naengmyeon noodles. I like buying a pack of them frozen, but you can also find it in the dry noodles section too.
What about the broth?
Same for the noodles, sometimes I’m lazy and I just buy packaged versions of the naengmyeon broth at my local Korean grocery store. Whenever it’s the summer time, they start selling these naengmyeon noodles and broth in the frozen or refrigerated sections. It’s super convenient, because you just pour the broth into your serving bowl, and have it with the noodles.
Sauce:
You can make the sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. The sauce is super simple – just blend everything until nice and creamy. I like making a big batch of the sauce and storing it in the fridge, and I can easily make bibim naengmyeon whenever I want, or use the sauce for other types of noodles, or on rice.
If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Bibim Naengmyeon
Ingredients
Pickled Radish
- 450 g daikon
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup white distilled vinegar
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
Spicy Sauce (yields 1 cup)
- ½ Korean pear or Asian pear
- 3 garlic cloves
- ⅓ small yellow onion
- ½ tsp fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 3 tbsp honey or sugar
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- 2 tbsp white vinegar or rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp salt
Bibim Naengmyeon
- 2 servings of naengmyeon noodles
- 1 packet of naengmyeon broth base
- 1 small cucumber (cut into thin strips)
- ½ Korean pear or Asian pear (cut into thin strips)
- Pickled radish (recipe below)
- Lean beef brisket (cooked and sliced very thinly) – optional
- 1 hard boiled egg (halved)
- 1-2 tbsp spicy sauce (add more/less according to your liking)
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Pickled Radish
- Peel the daikon’s outer layer with a vegetable peeler. Then shave the daikon with the peeler, creating thin ribbons. Gather and squeeze out all the water from the daikon. Set aside in an airtight container.
- Mix the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt together. Pour all over the daikon ribbons. Close the container and pickle in the fridge for at least a day.
Spicy Sauce
- Blend all the ingredients in a blender/food processor until nice and creamy. You can store the extra sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Bibim Naengmyeon
- Pour the broth into a small pitcher and freeze for 2 hours until it becomes slushy.
- Cook the noodles according to package directions. Rinse the noodles in cold running water, while rubbing them to remove the starch. Continue until the water becomes clear. Twirl noodles like a ball of yarn and place in your serving bowl.
- Add cucumber, pear, pickled radish, beef brisket, egg and the sauce on the noodles. Pour a little of the broth on the side. Garnish with sesame seeds. Mix it up and enjoy!
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