If you are a fan of Korean cuisine, you definitely cannot miss the unique and delicious Korean cold noodles Naengmyeon from this country. Let’s cook with TasteVN to make 2 simple and attractive soups that are extremely flavorful right now!
1. Cold Noodles Naengmyeon-mul
Preparation
1 hour
Cooking
1 hour
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Cold Noodles Naengmyeon-mul For 3 people
Beef tenderloin 500 gr Korean radish 1 kg Korean pear 1 fruit Cucumber 1 fruit Chicken eggs 3 pieces Korean chili 1 fruit Ginger 2 pieces Garlic 9 cloves Onion 1 bulb Green onion 1 stalk Leek 1 stalk Shiitake mushrooms 5 pieces Cold noodles 250 gr (Naengmyeon) Roasted sesame A little Rock sugar 1 tablespoon Rice wine 2 tablespoons Soy sauce 2 tablespoons
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How to prepare Cold Noodles Naengmyeon-mul
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Make pickled white radish
Peel and wash the white radish, then slice it thinly. Mix well with 1 tablespoon of salt and let it soak for 30 minutes.
Stir 1 liter of filtered water with 1 teaspoon of sugar, then take a clean jar, add 1 sliced Korean pear, 1/2 onion cut into wedges, 1 piece of ginger, 3 cloves of garlic, and 1 sliced Korean chili or lightly prick the chili.
Next, add 1 stalk of green onion and the soaked white radish, then pour in the sugar water to cover the radish. Seal the jar and let it sit in a cool place for 3 days.
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Making the broth
You put the beef that has been blanched in boiling water into the rice cooker, add 1 stalk of green onion, 1 slice of ginger, 6 cloves of peeled garlic, 1/2 onion, and 5 shiitake mushrooms.
Season with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of rice wine, 1 tablespoon of rock sugar, then add 2 liters of filtered water and set to simmer for 2 hours.
After simmering for the required time, remove the beef and strain the broth, add 1 cup (about 200ml) of pickled white radish water, let it cool, then put it in the freezer for 4 hours until needed.
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Blanching noodles and preparing side dishes
Place a pot on the stove, add dry Naengmyeon noodles and boil them right from when the water is still cold; when the water boils, stir the noodles with chopsticks for an additional 3 – 5 minutes.
Then, remove the noodles and place them in a colander, then rinse under cold running water to cool the noodles. Gently rub the noodles under the cold water to wash away any remaining flour and make the noodles chewier and tastier.
After rinsing for about 3 – 4 minutes, put the noodles in a bowl of water with a few ice cubes and rinse them again to make the noodles even better!
Boil the eggs for about 6 – 7 minutes, then peel and cut them in half. Wash the cucumber and cut it into strips. Cut the beef tenderloin into bite-sized pieces.
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Completion
After blanching, place the noodles into a bowl; take the cold soup that has been placed in the refrigerator to thicken and pour it over the noodles.
Add the beef brisket, cucumber, pickled white radish, and halved boiled eggs on top, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and you have successfully completed the delicious cold Naengmyeon-mul dish!
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Final Product
The cold noodle dish Naengmyeon-mul with a unique flavor, chewy noodles, and a refreshing broth rich in beef, combined with the sweet essence of pickled radish, is incredibly unique and extremely delicious.
Let’s show off your cooking skills, I guarantee your family will love it!
2. Cold Noodles Naengmyeon-bibim
Preparation
1 hour
Cooking
1 hour
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Cold Noodles Naengmyeon-bibim Serves 3 people
Dry Naengmyeon noodles 200 gr (Korean buckwheat noodles) Korean pear 60 gr (Nashi pear) Dongchimi radish 40 gr Cucumber 40 gr Chicken egg 1 piece White sesame 50 gr Beef brisket 150 gr (for broth) Korean pear 100 gr (Nashi pear – for broth) Shitake mushrooms 100 gr (for broth) Green onion 2 stalks (for broth) Spring onion 10 gr (white part – for broth) Black pepper 10 gr (for broth) White apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons (for broth) Soju 100 ml (for broth) Rock sugar 100 gr (for broth) Dongchimi brine 2 cups (kimchi brine from radish – for broth) Yellow mustard 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon Ginger 10 g (for sauce) Green onion 1 stalk (for sauce) Korean pear (for sauce) 100 g (Nashi pear) Korean red pepper powder 3 tablespoons (for sauce) Korean chili paste 1 tablespoon (for sauce) Apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons (for sauce) Sesame oil 1 teaspoon (for sauce)
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How to prepare Naengmyeon-bibim Cold Noodles
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Prepare the ingredients and cook the broth
Beef brisket should be soaked in diluted salt water for about 20 minutes or you can use salt to gently scrub to remove dirt, then rinse with water and let it drain.
Dried shiitake mushrooms should be washed with diluted water, then rinsed again with clean water.
Garlic cut in half, onion peeled, washed, then cut in half. Green onion washed and cut in half.
Put the cleaned beef brisket into a pot with 1 liter of water, add black pepper, green onion, onion, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, 1 lump of rock sugar (about 100g), 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of soju, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
When the water starts to boil, reduce to low heat and continue to cook until the beef brisket is tender for about 1 hour. After the beef brisket is tender, turn off the heat, use a sieve to strain the broth just cooked and wait for the broth to cool for 30 minutes.
Remove the beef brisket, then use a knife to slice it into thin, bite-sized pieces.
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Make the cold noodle broth
Peel 100g of pear, wash it clean, then use a grater to grate it finely and place it into a clean cloth to squeeze out the pear juice.
Mix the cold noodle broth with the ingredients: beef broth, pear juice, 2 small cups of dongchimi brine, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 2 tablespoons of soju (season to taste as preferred).
Stir the mixture well with a spoon until dissolved, then pour it into a container and place it in the freezer for 4 – 5 hours to let the noodle broth freeze.
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Prepare the side dishes
Peel 60g of pear, wash it clean, then cut it into thin long strips. Mix a bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of sugar, then soak the pear in it for about 1 – 2 hours.
Wash the cucumber clean, remove the seeds, then cut it into thin long strips. Slice the dongchimi radish into thin pieces.
Boil the egg for 7 – 8 minutes, then take it out and place it in a bowl of cold water to peel. After peeling, cut the egg in half with a knife.
Toast the white sesame seeds in a pan over low heat, stirring continuously for 2 – 3 minutes or until the seeds turn brown and shiny, and occasionally make popping sounds or a few seeds jump up.
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Make the sauce
100g of pear, peel, wash, and cut into pieces. Onion, peel, wash, and slice.
3 cloves of garlic, peel and wash. Ginger, wash and slice into rounds. 1 stalk of green onion, wash and cut into pieces.
Put the pear, onion, garlic, ginger, and green onion into the blender.
Then add: 3 tablespoons of Korean chili powder, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of Korean chili sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of salt.
Finally, blend the mixture until smooth to make the sauce.
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Blanch the noodles
Place a pot on the stove, add dry Naengmyeon noodles and boil them when the water is still cold. When the water boils, use chopsticks to stir the noodles for another 3 – 5 minutes. Then remove the noodles and place them in a colander, then rinse under cold running water to cool the noodles.
Use your hands to rub the noodles under cold running water to wash away any remaining flour that clings to the noodles and make the noodles chewier and tastier.
After washing for about 3 – 4 minutes, place the noodles in a bowl of water with some ice cubes and rinse again for better-tasting noodles!
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Completion
After blanching the noodles, place them in a bowl. Take out the cold broth that has been put in the refrigerator to thicken, pour it into the bowl of noodles, just pour a small amount of water, about 4 tablespoons!
Then continue to add the spicy sauce on top to the noodles, depending on your preference for spiciness, you can add more or less. Add the sliced beef brisket, cucumber, pickled pear, pickled radish, and halved boiled egg, then sprinkle some roasted sesame on top to complete the delicious cold noodle dish Naengmyeon-bibim.
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Final Product
When eating, mix the noodles and spicy sauce together to enjoy! The cold noodle Naengmyeon-bibim with its rich spicy sauce flavor, combined with the cold broth and chewy noodles, will surely be a unique and delicious combination!
How to choose ingredients for making Korean cold noodles
- You can use Korean pears (Nashi pears) or Vietnamese pears; however, using Korean pears will make the dish sweeter, juicier, and give the broth a more authentic flavor.
- You can buy radish to soak yourself or purchase ready-made pickled radish dongchimi to save time.
- The ingredients mentioned in this article can be found at stores or supermarkets that sell Korean products!
How to choose good beef brisket
- To choose a good piece of brisket, select those that are bright red, have fine, small fibers, smell beefy, and have light yellow fat. Choose pieces with small, tender fibers, and avoid large, tough ones.
- Do not choose brisket pieces that feel slimy or sticky to the touch, have a pale green color, have round white spots between the fibers, and have an unpleasant odor.
Notes when making two Korean cold noodle dishes Naengmyeon
- Soju can be added or omitted, depending on your taste; adding soju will enhance the richness and authenticity of the broth.
- During the broth cooking process, frequently skim off the foam to keep the broth clear and beautiful.
- You can also prepare cold noodle broth using the beef broth packets available in dry Naengmyeon noodle packages by adding water, then mixing it with pear juice for a delicious and simple broth that saves time.
- For the ready-made beef broth, mix it at a ratio of 1 packet of broth to 2 cups of water (or ice water to help the broth freeze faster).
- It is advisable to prepare the broth the night before and place it in the freezer refrigerator overnight, then thaw in the fridge or at room temperature until the mixture is slightly thickened.
- If you buy radish to soak yourself, peel it, cut it into sizes of 5×1.5×0.2cm, and soak it with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar for 20 minutes or soak it a day in advance for better flavor.
- If you do not toast in a pan, you can put sesame seeds on a tray and bake them at 175 degrees Celsius for 8 – 15 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds, or until they turn light brown.
- If possible, use sea salt for seasoning in the dish for a more authentic flavor; if not, regular salt can also be used!
- Rock sugar will help the broth taste sweeter and richer compared to using regular granulated sugar!
Above are 2 ways to make Naengmyeon-mul and Naengmyeon-bibim cold noodles from Korea that are authentic and simple to make at home. Let’s get cooking and treat your family to this dish! Wishing you success!
