Cold kimchi noodle soup

Today’s recipe, cold kimchi noodle soup (or Kimchimari-guksu: 김치말이국수) is an icy-cold, spicy noodle dish made with the quick-fermenting water radish kimchi (dongchimi) we made in my last recipe. I developed that recipe so that it would yield a lot of broth, which is perfect for making this noodle soup. The broth is boosted with anchovy and kelp stock, which gives it an even deeper flavor and is the perfect level of saltiness, refreshing and full of probiotics for health. It’s also very addictive! The chewy wheat noodles are white and thin and the radish kimchi is nicely crispy. After eating it I feel very refreshed and invigorated.

I made this noodle soup all summer. Whenever my easy dongchimi ran out, I made more so I always had it in my refrigerator. Does it sound like this dish is only for summer? No, it’s also for cold winters! I still remember one cold winter day at my grandmother’s house, eating cold noodle soup that my grandmother made for us. Outside was very cold and windy but inside the room was warm and cozy. We put a large blanket around our bodies, sitting on the traditional Korean heated floor (ondol) with my siblings, uncles, and whole family. It was fun and cozy!

The important thing to remember when making this dish is that the noodles will go soggy quickly, so you should prepare everything you need first, then put it all together with the noodles and serve and eat everything right away.

Enjoy the recipe!

Quick fermenting radish water kimchi

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 3 cups dongchimi broth
• 2 cups anchovy kelp stock, recipe below (or beef, chicken, or vegetable stock)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup fermented radish kimchi from dongchimi, cut into matchsticks
• 1 tablespoon gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, ground
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and cut in halves
• ⅓ English cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1 small pear, peeled, cored, and cut into matchsticks
• 200 grams (about 7 ounces) thin wheat-flour noodles (somyeon)

For anchovy kelp stock:

• 4 cups water
• 7 large dried anchovies, the guts and heads removed
• ¼ ounce (7 grams) dried kelp (optional)

Directions

Make anchovy kelp stock

1. Combine water, anchovies, and kelp (if used) in a pan. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 20 minutes
2. Let cool and strain through a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. You will have about 3 cups of clear stock.

Make the soup broth and spicy radish

1. Combine the dongchimi broth, 2 cups anchovy kelp stock, and sugar in a bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Cover and keep it in the freezer until it gets slushy, usually about 2 hours.
2. Combine the radish kimchi, hot pepper flakes, and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well with a spoon.

Cook the noodles

1. In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over medium high heat. Add the noodles and stir them with a wooden spoon or tongs so that they don’t stick together. Cook for about 3 minutes.
2. When the noodles are cooked, they will float to the surface. Taste one or two noodles: they should be chewy but soft all the way through. If they are slightly hard in the middle, cook them a little longer.
3. Drain the noodles through a strainer and rinse them under cold running water, rubbing with both hands to remove excess starch. You can add ice cubes to cool them down faster. Continue to rinse, strain, and rub the noodles together until they are cold. Portion them evenly between two soup bowls.

Put it together

1. Add some seasoned radish kimchi, cucumber, pear, and egg to the top of the noodles on each bowl. Sprinkle some of the sesame seeds powder over top of each.
2. Pour the cold icy broth and serve right alway.

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