Spicy Korean Cold Noodle Salad
* you can also use natural applesauce here instead
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Korean vegetable side dish:
- 4 cups blend of shredded Korean radish or Daikon, carrots and cucumber or zucchini
- ½ tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt + more if needed
- 2 tablespoons crushed Korean red hot pepper powder gochugaru
- 1½ tablespoons brown rice vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
For the bibim sauce:
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup blended Fuji apple*
- ¼ cup blended pear
- ¼ cup blended onion
- ¼ cup crushed Korean hot pepper powder gochugaru
- 2 tablespoons Korean hot pepper paste gochujang + more if you want it spicier
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
For the noodle salad:
- 1 (16 oz) package naengmyun buckwheat noodles frozen or dry
- sesame oil
- brown rice vinegar
- Korean veggies above
- mixed greens or lettuce
- shredded cucumber
- 2 hard boiled eggs; cut in half lengthwise
- sesame seeds
Instructions
Korean vegetable side dish:
- Place shredded vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes and then using a small separate bowl, mix together the ingredients from the Korean red hot pepper powder to the minced garlic.
- Pour the spicy mixture over the shredded vegetables and mix together using your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Chilling it for 30 minutes is not mandatory but the vegetables will just taste better after they have had time to marinate in the sauce. I like to serve this vegetable side dish cold.
For the bibim sauce:
- Using your food processor, blend together all of the ingredients until completely smooth. Pour sauce into a bowl and let sit while you cook the noodles.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the naeng myun buckwheat noodles for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in very cold water.
- Using a large bowl, place your noodles in the bowl and pour the spicy bibim sauce over the top. Combine thoroughly using your hands or tongs.
- To assemble: divide noodles among bowls. Drizzle on a little sesame oil and brown rice vinegar (if desired) and top with the Korean vegetable side dish, fresh mixed greens, more shredded cucumbers (optional), a hard boiled egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Mix together and enjoy!!