Korean Kimchi Chilled Noodle Soup
Quick answer
- Total time
- 23 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Kimchi mari guksu is a cold Korean noodle soup made for hot weather, built on a broth of aged kimchi juice blended with cold water, sugar, and a small amount of vinegar.
Read more
The broth needs time in the refrigerator to reach a thorough chill before serving - adding ice cubes at the table would dilute the distinctive tangy flavor of the kimchi liquid. Thin somyeon wheat noodles are boiled, then rubbed and rinsed under cold running water to strip off surface starch and stop the cooking. They go into the bowl first, followed by chopped kimchi and julienned cucumber, and the cold broth is poured over everything at the last moment. Because fermentation levels vary between batches of kimchi, the vinegar should be adjusted by small increments until the sour-sweet balance feels right. More aged kimchi produces a richer, more complex broth.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Chop 120 g well-fermented kimchi into bite-size pieces and julienne 1/2 cucumber very thinly.
Keep the toppings separate and lightly drained so they stay crisp and do not cloud the broth.
- 2Season
Combine 200 ml kimchi juice with 300 ml cold water, then stir in 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp vinegar until fully dissolved.
Taste the broth and adjust only if the kimchi needs more brightness.
- 3Control
Cover the broth and chill it thoroughly in the refrigerator until it feels very cold.
Do not add ice cubes later, because they dilute the kimchi flavor and weaken the sour-sweet balance.
- 4Control
Add 180 g somyeon noodles to boiling water and cook over medium heat, stirring so the strands do not stick.
When the noodles soften and the centers look no longer chalky, remove them promptly.
- 5Heat
Rinse the cooked noodles immediately under cold running water, rubbing them between your hands several times to remove surface starch. Drain them well in a sieve so the chilled broth does not become watery.
- 6Finish
Place the drained noodles in bowls, top with chopped kimchi and cucumber, then pour in the thoroughly chilled broth just before serving. Sprinkle 1 tsp sesame seeds over the top and serve immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Aged kimchi brine serves as the tangy foundation for this chilled summer noodle soup.
- Finish cue
- Place the drained noodles in bowls, top with chopped kimchi and cucumber, then pour in the thoroughly chilled broth just before serving.
- Avoid this
- Pre-chill the broth instead of adding ice to avoid dilution.
- Storage and reheating
- The broth needs time in the refrigerator to reach a thorough chill before serving - adding ice cubes at the table would dilute the distinctive tangy flavor of the kimchi liquid.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
23min, 8 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 233 recipes
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