Korean Perilla Noodles with Aster Leaves

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Chwi namul, a wild aster green gathered in spring, is blanched and rinsed in cold water to temper its bitterness before being seasoned lightly with soup soy sauce.

Ground perilla seeds are stirred into the broth, turning the liquid a milky white and giving it a toasted, nutty weight that holds against the herbaceous bite of the greens. The perilla richness subdues the sharpest edge of the bitterness while leaving the wild mountain aroma intact so each mouthful reads clearly as foraged rather than cultivated. Soup soy sauce adds only enough seasoning to tie the elements without masking any of the natural fragrance. Somyeon wheat noodles, soft and fine-stranded, bridge the greens and the broth without competing with either. Spring-harvested chwi namul carries the most pronounced aroma, and a thorough rinse after blanching controls the bitterness to a palatable level. The resulting bowl is understated and seasonal, built on the flavor of a single wild ingredient.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Somyeon wheat noodles	200	g
Chwinamul (aster leaves)	100	g
Perilla seed powder	3	tbsp
Soup soy sauce	1.5	tbsp
Minced garlic	1	tsp
Perilla oil	1	tbsp
Green onion	25	g
Water	700	ml

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Remove the tough stems from 100g chwinamul by hand and cut into 5cm bite-sized lengths.
2

Finish

Bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the chwinamul for 1 minute, then immediately remove and rinse under cold water to preserve color, and squeeze out the moisture firmly.
3

Heat

In the same pot, cook 200g somyeon for 3 minutes until translucent, then rinse under cold water to remove starch and drain in a colander.
4

Control

Heat 1 tbsp perilla oil in a pan over low heat, add green onion and 1 tsp minced garlic, and cook for 30 seconds to release the fragrance.
5

Control

Add the blanched chwinamul, 1.5 tbsp soup soy sauce, and 3 tbsp perilla seed powder, and mix over low heat for 1 minute to make the sauce.
6

Season

Add the drained somyeon and toss to coat evenly, adding 1 tbsp of water at a time if the sauce is too thick, until the consistency is right.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Aster leaves briefly blanched, cold-rinsed, and squeezed before mixing with perilla sauce
Finish cue: In the same pot, cook 200g somyeon for 3 minutes until translucent, then rinse under cold water to remove starch and drain in a colander.
Avoid this: Remove the tough stems from 100g chwinamul by hand and cut into 5cm bite-sized lengths.