Name: Spicy Korean Cold Noodle Salad (Bibim-guksu Inspired)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 140 g somen noodles (for 2 servings); 2 eggs; 150 g mixed leaf salad; 1/2 purple cabbage, julienned; 1/2 cucumber, julienned; 1/2 large carrot, julienned; Toasted white sesame seeds (garnish); 1 cup homemade kimchi (or store bought); 1 tbsp kimchi juice; 1.5 tbsp gochujang; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1/2 tbsp honey (or sweetener of choice); 2 tsp minced garlic; 2 tsp sesame oil

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This Spicy Korean Cold Noodle Salad is my take on bibim-guksu, made with chewy somen noodles, lots of crunchy veg, and a sweet, spicy, tangy gochujang sauce. It’s the perfect dish to have when you want something quick and refreshing, especially in the UK heatwave!

Watch How to Make It
What is Spicy Korean Cold Noodle Salad?
Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients for This Dish
How to Make Spicy Korean Cold Noodle Salad
Karen’s Top Tips

spicy korean noodle salad with cucumbers, carrots, purple cabbage, mixed leaf salad and boiled egg

Watch How to Make It

What is Spicy Korean Cold Noodle Salad?

This Spicy Korean Cold Noodle Salad is inspired by bibim-guksu, a popular Korean dish made with cold somen noodles tossed in a sweet, spicy and tangy gochujang-based sauce.

Traditionally, bibim-guksu is kept pretty simple with toppings like sliced cucumbers and a boiled egg. My version is packed with lots of crunchy veggies like cucumber, carrot, purple cabbage and mixed leaf salad. It’s refreshing and a great way to use up any vegetables you have in your fridge.

I’ve also added homemade kimchi directly into the sauce for an extra punch of flavour. If you’d like to make your own, you can find my easy homemade kimchi recipe here. Or if you’re looking for a more traditional version, check out my classic bibim-guksu recipe.

This is honestly the perfect meal for the heatwave in the UK right now. It’s quick, refreshing and requires minimal cooking. All you need to do is boil the noodles and egg, and everything comes together in less than 20 minutes!

Why I Love This Recipe

● Refreshing and packed with crunchy veggies. It’s the perfect light summer salad when you want something fresh but still filling.

● Addictive sauce. This spicy gochujang-based sauce is sweet, spicy and tangy, it just ties everything together and makes every bite so good.

● Ready in under 20 minutes. This dish requires minimal effort, just boil the noodles and egg, and toss with the chopped veggies and noodles.

Ingredients for This Dish

Here are a few key ingredients to note. You’ll find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below.

Somen noodles

Somen noodles are very thin Japanese wheat noodles made from wheat flour, water, and salt. They have a light, delicate texture and cook in just a few minutes.

Once cooked, they’re usually rinsed under cold water to remove excess starch. This step is is important as it gives them it’s signature bouncy and chewy texture that works really well in cold noodle dishes like this one.

Somen noodles are perfect for soaking up sauces like this spicy gochujang sauce in this recipe.

You can easily find somen noodles in the dry noodle section in your local Asian supermarket, or you can just get it on Amazon!

Buy somen noodles on Amazon

Gochujang

Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chilli paste made from chilli powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. It has a deep, rich flavour that’s spicy, slightly sweet and a little umami.

For this recipe, gochujang is essential in the sauce and there really isn’t a direct substitute that gives the same flavour. If you need a vegan option, there are vegan gochujang pastes available too, but the flavour profile itself should not be swapped out for anything else if you want the authentic taste.

A little goes a long way, so you can always adjust the amount depending on how spicy you like it.

You can usually find gochujang in the Asian aisle of larger Western supermarkets, but it’s also widely available in most Asian supermarkets.

Buy gochujang on Amazon

Crunchy vegetables

This recipe is packed with fresh, crunchy vegetables that makes this dish feel light and refreshing.

You can really use any kind of vegetable you like, but I would definitely recommend something crunchy like cucumber, carrot and purple cabbage. I’ve also thrown in a mixed leaf salad to make it feel like a proper salad.

The key here is to slice everything really thin so it blends into the noodles and the sauce coats each bite evenly. It makes a big difference to the overall texture and means you get a bit of everything in every mouthful.

How to Make Spicy Korean Cold Noodles

1) Make your 6-minute soft boiled eggs

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Carefully lower in the eggs and boil for 6 minutes for a soft centre. Once cooked, transfer immediately into an ice bath to stop the cooking process, then peel and set aside.

2) Cook somen noodles

Cook the somen noodles according to the packet instructions, usually around 3–4 minutes. Drain straight away and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until completely cooled. This helps remove excess starch and keeps the noodles bouncy and chewy.

3) Assemble!

In a mixing bowl, prepare the sauce and toss the cold noodles through until evenly coated.

To serve, add the noodles to a bowl and top with the thinly sliced vegetables, soft-boiled egg, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately while chilled.

Karen’s Top Tips

1) Slice your veggies really thin

Julienne your vegetables really thin so they blend into the noodles properly and the sauce coats every strand. It makes the whole dish way more satisfying in each bite instead of big chunky pieces.

I also like to use my favourite mandolin to slice everything super fine and even. It’s super easy to use and works well for slicing cabbage, carrots and cucumbers thinly and quickly.

2) Rinse noodles under cold water

Rinse your noodles under cold running water straight after cooking. This step is important because it stops them from overcooking and removes any excess starch, which can make them sticky or clump together.

Rinsing cooked noodles under cold water also gives you that bouncy, chewy texture which is perfect for a cold noodle dish like this.

3) Serve cold!

When it’s cold, the dish feels way more refreshing and the veggies taste crisp. This is one of those dishes that genuinely tastes better cold, especially on a hot summer day!

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