Hot days call for Korean spicy cold noodles—and Kimchi Bibim Guksu is the way to go. It’s refreshing, flavorful, and you can have it on the table in just 20 minutes. Simply add fresh cucumber slices, and a boiled egg on top and you’re set!
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What are Korean Bibim Guksu Noodles?
Bibim guksu or Korean spicy cold noodles is a popular dish served during the summers in Korea due to its refreshing taste. This dish also goes by the name guksu bibim or goldong myeon. The sauce is spicy with a sweet and tangy component due to the kimchi and gochujang (Korean chili paste).
The thin wheat noodles (known as somen) are mixed in a spicy kimchi sauce flavored with spicy gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) and topped with lots of sliced cucumbers, crushed sesame seeds, and other simple toppings.
If you’re planning to eat Korean BBQ, this is the best dish to serve it with for an authentic experience. Check out this Korean BBQ guide to learn more!
Bibim Guksu vs. Bibim Naengmyeon
Both noodles are mixed Korean cold noodles dishes. But there are some significant differences between the two dishes including the type of noodles, broth, and toppings.
- Bibim Guksu: This dish is made with somen or somyeon, thin wheat flour noodles, and doesn’t have broth added. The toppings can vary from lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, seaweed and boiled egg. If you’re making your bibim guksu noodles at home, feel free to add your topping of choice!
- Bibim Naengmyeon: This dish uses buckwheat noodles which are darker brown in color. The noodles are prepared with gochujang, Asian pears, and a radish broth, made from pickling radish. The broth has a sweet and tangy taste and sometimes is served frozen and icy. Common toppings for Bibim Naengmyeon is brisket, Asian pear, boiled egg and radish.
Love these spicy kimchi noodles and ready to explore more easy Korean recipes? Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish or you might enjoy with this Pork Bulgogi!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick : This Korean bibim guksu recipe is very quick to assemble so it’s great for quick dinners or lunches. The only cooking it requires is boiling the noodles and egg.
- Perfect for Warm Weather: These noodles are served cold and have a refreshing flavor making a satisfying dish that’s perfect for hot days.
- Serves One: An easy recipe that makes just one serving but you can easily multiply the recipe if you’re cooking for your family.
Ingredients
The ingredient list to make Korean Spicy Cold Noodles isn’t too long but there may be some on the list you aren’t familiar with yet. Here’s a look at the main ingredients you will be using. Full recipe in the recipe card below!
Bibim Guksu Sauce
- Kimchi: A traditional Korean dish made of fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage and radish. You will need to cut it into bite-sized pieces. I get my kimchi from H-mart. I love to buy the ones from CJ (Bibigo) and Jongga.
- Sugar: Balances out the spicy and tangy flavors in the sauce.
- Sesame Oil: Dark or toasted sesame oil is added for flavor and for enhancing the richness of the dish. It’s not recommended to use other oils as they will not have the unique flavor of the sesame oil.
- Rice Vinegar: A mild vinegar that’s traditionally used in many Asian recipes.
- Gochujang: Also called Korean red pepper paste, it’s the base of the bibim guksu sauce. If you want a more spicy flavor, you can add Korean red pepper powder! Buy your gochujang at many Asian markets such as 99 Ranch or Hmart.
- Garlic: Adds aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Soy sauce: Gives the sauce its savory and salty components.
Korean Spicy Noodles
- Somyeon: This thin wheat noodle is traditionally used to make bibim guksu. You can find it at H-mart, or other Asian markets. You may also find these noodles called somen in Japanese cuisine.
- Cucumbers: No need to peel as it adds color to your dish.
- Boiled egg: You can make a soft or hard boiled egg depending on your preference.
- Roasted Seaweed: Find the roasted seaweed at Asian markets along with the other ingredients needed. It’s cut into small pieces and sprinkled over the top.
- Roasted Sesame Seeds: Added on top. I crushed my roasted sesame seeds for extra fragrant flavor!
How to Make Korean Spicy Cold Noodles
Making these Korean spicy noodles goes together pretty quickly and requires very little prep. Here’s a look at the highlights.
Step 1. Make the Sauce. Cut the kimchi into smaller pieces so it’s easier to eat and mixes into the sauce. Combine the water, sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, gochujang, garlic, and soy sauce and mix everything together.
Step 2. Boil the Noodles and Egg. Add your egg to boiling water and cook to desired consistency. If you want a soft boiled egg, it will take 7 minutes. Hard boiled will be 8-9 minutes. Add your somyeon noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions (my noodles take 3 minutes).
Step 3. Cool the Noodles. Transfer the noodles to an ice bath and wash the starch off thoroughly. Strain the noodles well to ensure they are chewy. Transfer hard boiled eggs to the ice water as well.
Step 4. Assemble the Noodles. Mix the sauce with the strained noodles. I like to use my hand with a glove to mix throughly but you can also use a set of tongs.
PRO TIP: I boil my egg with my noodles to make things quicker and reduce the number of pots I need to wash. Simply add the noodles towards the end of the egg cooking so they are done at the same time. However, you can cook them separately if you prefer!
Step 5. Finish the Prep. Peel the boiled eggs and slice them in half. Slice the cucumber in julienne pieces (thinly sliced cucumbers). Garnish noodles with egg, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and roasted seaweed.
Expert Tips
- Serve Immediately. This dish is best served fresh so the noodles are not soggy.
- Use an Ice Water Bath. This step is important because it stops the cooking immediately making sure your noodles do not end up overly soft.
- Make the Sauce First. This gives it some time for the flavors to develop and meld together while you are preparing the rest of the dish.
- Experiment with the Vegetables. You can add more if you want to turn your dish into more of a cold noodle salad or experiment with adding a different variety of them.
Recipe FAQs
This dish is already vegetarian as long as you use a kimchi that isn’t made using fish sauce, shrimp paste, or other seafood based ingredients.
This dish is typically served with dumplings or Korean BBQ. I recommend trying this with Shrimp and Pork Wontons with Spice Sauce, Japchae Potstickers, LA Galbi, and Korean Fried Chicken for a heartier meal.
Yes! You can add shredded lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, or whatever you have in the fridge.
More Korean Noodle Recipes:
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Kimchi Bibim Guksu (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
Ingredients
sauce
- 1 tablespoon kimchi cut in bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (korean red pepper paste)
- 1 garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
assemble
- 3 ounces somyeon thin wheat noodles
- ½ cucumber (english or persian) sliced thinly
- 1 boiled egg sliced in half
- roasted seaweed (optional) cut in small pieces
- roasted sesame seeds crushed
Instructions
- Make sauce by cutting kimchi in smaller pieces. Mince garlic. In a bowl, make your sauce by adding 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 1 minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Mix sauce well and set aside.
- Boil water in a kettle or in a large pot. Add your egg and make sure you take a look at the time ◡̈ If you want a soft boiled egg, it will take 7 minutes. Hard boiled will be 8-9 minutes.
- I boil my egg with my somen noodles to make things quicker. Add your somen noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions (my noodles take 3 minutes).
- Transfer noodles to an ice bath and wash the starch off thoroughly. Strain noodles well to ensure they are chewy. Transfer hard boiled eggs to the ice water as well.
- Peel hard boiled eggs and slice in half. Slice cucumber in julienne pieces (thinly sliced cucumbers).
- Mix sauce (from Step 1) with the strained noodles. I like to use my hand with a glove to mix throughly.
- Top mixed noodles with sliced cucumbers, boiled eggs, and sesame seeds. This is optional but highly recommended; add some roasted seaweed on top. Please enjoy fresh so the noodles are not soggy.
Notes
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- Serve Immediately. This dish is best served fresh so the noodles are not soggy.
-
- Use an Ice Water Bath. This step is important because it stops the cooking immediately making sure your noodles do not end up overly soft.
-
- Make the Sauce First. This gives it some time for the flavors to develop and meld together while you are preparing the rest of the dish.
-
- Experiment with the Vegetables. You can add more if you want to turn your dish into more of a cold noodle salad or experiment with adding a different variety of them.
Kimberley says
I found this recipe afrer having too much kimchi about a year ago and it has become one of my go-to-hot-weather-dishes!
I’ve reacently started making my own kimchi, so I’ll probably eat it even more now!
Angie says
This is my favorite Korean dish and this is how I found Cook with Dana! Her recipes are easy, concise, yet full of flavor. Even a dummy in the kitchen like me can cook 😂 haha highly recommend this recipe! Super yums ☺️🫶🏻
Adkim.89@gmail.com
Sophia says
I had only eaten the instant version before this recipe. It is easy to make and super yummy!
Mel says
Seriously only took me 20 minutes and it was so yummy! Definitely making again 🙂
Jess says
Made this for lunch today and it’s delicious! Perfect for those days when you literally have 15-20 minutes to make a meal
Cook With Dana says
Thank you so much Jess for trying the recipe ◡̈