There are two types of Korean cold noodles. These chewy noodles in a red sauce are sweet, sour, spicy, and intense, while Cold Noodle Soup is mild, tangy, and brothy. I can never decide which one I like better! Mixing the noodles and sauce with the partially frozen brine just before serving helps coat the noodles with the spices. If you don’t have Radish-Water Kimchi brine on hand, you can still make the dish using a bit of the ready-to-mix broth that comes with the noodles; see the shortcut. In a restaurant, after the dish is presented to you, your server will come with a pair of scissors and ask if you want your long noodles cut in half. If you do, he will snip them right in the bowl. You can do the same at home if you prefer shorter noodles.
SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SPICY SEASONING SAUCE:
-
- ½ Asian pear, or 1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
- ¼ cup Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
- 2 tablespoons Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup (ssal-yeot) or honey
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons distilled white or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons beef stock or water
FOR THE NOODLES:
-
- 10 ounces naengmyeon noodles
- ½ Asian pear, or 1 small Bosc pear, peeled and cored
- 1 cup brine from Radish-Water Kimchi, frozen until slushy
- 8 to 12 slices Radish-Water Kimchi, or ⅓ cup chopped Napa Cabbage Kimchi
- ½ English cucumber, cut into ½-inch-thick matchsticks (about ½ cup)
- 1 large hard-boiled egg, shelled and halved
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- Distilled white or apple cider vinegar, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
-
- Make the spicy seasoning sauce: Put the pear in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Measure out ½ cup of the pear puree and transfer to a bowl. (Discard the rest of the puree.) Add the onion, garlic, ginger, hot pepper flakes, hot pepper paste, scallions, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, rice syrup, sugar, vinegar, and beef broth. Combine all the ingredients in the food processor and process until creamy. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Make the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles, stirring with a wooden spoon so they won’t stick together, and boil until tender but still chewy, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cooled and no longer slippery. Divide the noodles between two shallow serving bowls.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the pear.
- Spoon seasoning sauce to taste over each portion of noodles. Add ½ cup icy-cold brine to each bowl. Arrange the kimchi, cucumber, pear, and egg halves on top. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the eggs. Serve immediately, with the remaining seasoning sauce and, if desired, extra vinegar on the side.
