Chewy and Refreshing Spicy Noodle Salad with Water Kimchi
Quick and Easy Spicy Noodle Salad Recipe Using Fermented Water Kimchi
Here’s a recipe for a spicy and sweet water kimchi noodle salad that you can whip up in just 5 minutes using ripe water kimchi from your fridge. It’s a perfect, flavorful dish for when you don’t have much appetite!
Main Ingredients- Noodles (Somen) 300g
- Generous amount of ripe water kimchi (approx. 1.5 – 2 cups)
Spicy and Sweet Sauce- Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 Tbsp
- Soy sauce 2 Tbsp
- Sugar 2 Tbsp (or corn syrup/oligosaccharide)
- Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) 1 Tbsp (adjust to spice preference)
- Sesame oil 1 Tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds 1-2 Tbsp (for garnish)
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 Tbsp
- Soy sauce 2 Tbsp
- Sugar 2 Tbsp (or corn syrup/oligosaccharide)
- Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) 1 Tbsp (adjust to spice preference)
- Sesame oil 1 Tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds 1-2 Tbsp (for garnish)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Boil plenty of water in a pot over high heat. You need a sufficient amount of water to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Step 2
Once the water is boiling, add 300g of noodles (somen) and cook. Somen typically takes about 3-4 minutes to cook perfectly. Stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from clumping.
Step 3
When the water starts to boil over, add about a cup of cold water. Repeating this step 2-3 times will make the noodles extra chewy and springy. (This is the ‘cold water shock’ technique!)
Step 4
Drain the cooked noodles using a colander, then rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. Rinsing with cold water removes excess starch, resulting in a wonderfully springy and chewy texture. Drain thoroughly again to remove all excess water.
Step 5
Place the drained noodles into a large mixing bowl. Having them in a bowl beforehand makes it easier to mix with the sauce.
Step 6
Drizzle the prepared spicy and sweet sauce ingredients (2 Tbsp gochujang, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 1 Tbsp sesame oil) evenly over the noodles. You can adjust the amount of sauce based on the quantity of noodles and your personal taste.
Step 7
Gently mix the noodles with the sauce using chopsticks or tongs. It’s important to mix gently so that the sauce evenly coats every strand of noodle.
Step 8
Add a generous amount of finely chopped water kimchi on top of the sauced noodles. The crisp texture and the refreshing sour-sweet flavor of the kimchi will further enhance the overall taste of the noodle salad. Mix the kimchi and noodles together.
Step 9
Transfer the well-mixed water kimchi noodle salad to a serving bowl. Finally, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top for added nuttiness. Your delicious water kimchi noodle salad is ready! Enjoy your meal!
