Korean icy cold noodles (naengmyeon: 냉면) are one of my favorite things to make all year ‘round, even in the cold winter. I can’t resist the texture of the chewy and thin noodles, no matter if they are served with cold broth (mul-naengmyeon: 물냉면) or in a spicy sauce (bibim-naengmyeon: 비빔냉면). Especially on hot summer days like these, I really feel my body cools right down after I slurp the cold noodles and drink the leftover cold icy broth. The cold broth is tangy, savory, and a little sweet and the noodles are soft but chewy at the same time.

Today I’m going to show you how to make mul-naengmyeon, icy cold noodles in a chilled broth. Traditionally the broth is made from the brine of fermented radish water kimchi (dongchimi: 동치미) and beef stock, and if you’ve been following me for a long time, you know that I made it that way in a naengmyeon video years ago, and also included that traditional mul-naengmyeon in my first cookbook. They both have a different recipe for the broth and I’ll include them below, if you want to see them.

But today’s mul-naengmyeon recipe is a more user-friendly version. I don’t make my own broth from scratch, but instead use the concentrated broth powder or liquid that comes with the naengmyeon noodles package (Amazon link) as a base. Then I add some pear juice and some sweet and sour cucumber pickle brine to enhance the taste.

I often make this easy mul-naengmyeon these days. It’s so simple and in my opinion it tastes much better than mul-naengmyeon in a restaurant. You can try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 10 ounces (280 grams) dried naengmyeon noodles
  • 2 packets of liquid or powdered concentrated broth that comes with the package of naengmyeon noodles
  • 2 packets of mustard oil that comes with the package of naengmyeon noodles.
  • ½ English cucumber, cut into thin strips
  • 1 Korean pear (or 2 bosc pears)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 hard-boiled egg, cut in halves
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, ground
  • ice cubes

Make broth

  1. Open the packets of the concentrated broth and put them into a bowl. Mix with 4 cups of water.
  2. Keep in the freezer for 4 to 5 hours so it gets slushy. brothIf you can’t make the broth in advance, make the broth with only 2 cups of water and add 2½ cups of ice cubes. Keep it in the fridge while you prepare everything else, and take it out just when you’re ready to serve.

Prepare cucumber and pear garnishes

  1. Make quick pickled cucumbers by combining the sliced cucumber, kosher salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, and vinegar in a bowl. Mix it well and set aside.
  2. Make sugar water by mixing 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon sugar.
  3. Peel the pear and slice into halves. Slice one half into thin strips and soak them in the sugar water to keep them from going brown.
  4. Grate the other half of the pear and squeeze out the juice using a cotton cloth or cheesecloth. You should get about ½ cup of pear juice. If you use small bosc pears, use one for garnish and the other for pear juice.
  5. Take the bowl of broth out of the freezer. Squeeze some cucumber brine into the broth and add the pear juice. pear juice
  6. Mix well and put the broth back in the fridge or freezer until the noodles are ready.

Prepare noodles

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover and let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Take a sample to taste. When you chew the noodles, there shouldn’t be any hard stuff inside. Be sure not to overcook them or they’ll go soggy.
  3. Strain and rinse the noodles in cold running water until they aren’t slippery any more and are well cooled.naengmyeon noodles
  4. Fill a large bowl with cold water and some ice cubes. Add the noodles and rinse them a final time.
  5. Drain the noodles and divide them into 2 large shallow bowls.

Put it together

  1. Pour the icy broth into each bowl.cold broth
  2. Place the cucumber and pear on top.
  3. Add a packet of mustard oil to each bowl.
  4. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds powder. Add a half egg on top of each bowl.
  5. Serve right away.

mul-naengmyeon

Variation 1: Anchovy, mushroom, & kelp stock broth

If you have more time, anchovy stock broth is a more delicious and savory option than using the packets that come with the noodles. This is the kind of broth I made in my original naengmyeon video, years ago. I didn’t show the exact process in the video, but it’s pretty easy:

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Boil 8 cups of water with all ingredients for 20 minutes over high heat.
  2. Lower the heat and cook another 20 minutes. Strain, cool it down and put it in the freezer.

Mustard paste

In the video I also make a homemade mustard paste by mixing 1 tbs of mustard powder and ½ tbs water, and then setting it in a warm place for 5 minutes for it to ferment (in the video, it’s on the top of the pot!).

naengmyeon cold noodles

Variation 2: Traditional broth using dongchimi & beef stock

This is the most delicious, tangy, beefy, unique tasting broth you will ever have, but it also takes the longest to make, because dongchimi (water radish kimchi) itself needs at least 4 to 5 days to ferment, and then we use that brine in our naengmyeon.

Even though it takes a lot of effort, the taste is unbeatable and much better than you can get any other way. This recipe is from my first book, Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Rinse the brisket under cold running water, then soak in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to remove any blood, so you get a nice, clear broth.
  2. Bring the 7 cups water to a boil in a pot over high heat. Drain the brisket and add to the pot. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, covered, for 1 hour.
  3. Turn the heat down to low and cook for another 50 minutes.
  4. Take out the brisket and set the broth aside to cool.
  5. Thinly slice the beef. Cover and refrigerate.
  6. Combine the beef broth and kimchi brine in a freezer safe bowl. Add the salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Cover and put into the freezer.

Serving

  1. Later, when you serve your mul-naengmyeon, use the slices of beef as a garnish, along with the cucumber, pear, and egg. You can also add some thin slices of dongchimi if you have it.

traditional mul-naengmyeon

Leave your rating:

So far this is rated 5/5 from 359 votes

Be the first to rate this.

126 Comments:

  1. Hi maangchi,
    cos of not easy to get young radish for making the
    yeolmu kimchi. Can show more ingredientd details to subsitute this For bibimnaengmyeon?
    Thanks in advance!!!!

    rgds,
    evelyn

  2. I just went to Atlanta today and ordered this. Now that I know the recipe is here, I can make this all I want? What god did I please?

  3. Christina& has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi – Can I use the instant dashi in place of the anchovies for making the soup stock?

    Thanks!

  4. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    gautam,

    Thank you very much for your informative comments and suggestion. Wonderful!

  5. Dear M,

    You are just incredible! Great personality, I admire people with excellent technique, plus your neatness & cleanliness. No chance of your cloning yourself in the near future, is there?!! Be well.

    Your #1 Admirer.

    P.S.:

    1)What is the origin of corn syrup in Korean cooking? Was amazake-type NATURAL rice syrup or SORGHUM syrup used before that? Given the high glycemic index of High Fructose Corn Syrup & its less-healthful reputation compared to honey, amazake, agave nectar, sugarcane golden syrup like Tate & Lyle brand or Steens of Louisiana, unsulfured molasses, sorghum syrup, B& C grade maple syrup,

    would you please consider experimenting with some of the above, and where possible, reducing part of the white sugar & corn sugar in your recipes? Sometimes, a more complex, even better, taste might result!

    2) Korean/Asian pear is very expensive or not available in many areas. For marinades, could you please experiment with BOSC & other Western pears, +/-apples, to suggest if they work almost as well or not at all, according to your judgment?

    Thank You.

  6. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Xinube
    I hope your cold noodles turned out good, sorry about late reply. I am just reading your message now.

    Anonymous,
    You will be able to make delicious naengmyun if you follow my recipe! Of course I couldn’t compete your mom’s naengmyun! Mom’s food is always the best in the world, right?

  7. Hi Maangchi,
    I just wanted to say my mom used to make mul naengmyun for my brother and I as children. Last time she made it was when my husband and I were dating 2 years ago and he absolutly loved it. I was afraid to try to make it for him. Knowing the fact my mother made it for us I was afraid I was going to mess up somehow. Anyways your video on how to make is helpful. Now I will try to make it for him and his 2 brothers and his mom. Thank you Maangchi.

  8. hii im korean teenager living in london!
    I LOVE BIBIMNAENGMYUN AHHH!
    i always tell my mum to buy naengmyun(noodles) but wee can’t find any.. ohwell.
    i went to korea last year to visit family and we also visited jeju island(sashimi is great) and nampodong last summer. In nampodong i ate SO MUCH bibimnaengmyun and then mandoo and then i asked my parents if we can go and eat some more bibimnaengmyun because we never eat it in england. hehe
    thanks for recipe i am going to nag my mum to make some.. :)
    yummy
    ^^ x

  9. Wow! How is it possible that I haven’t found your website earlier? ^_~ You are doing a great job, thank you!
    Greetings from Poland.

  10. ok ok, maybe i overreacted but can i change the broth? or make it differently? with other ingredients?

  11. Hey maangchi remember me? the brazilian teenager from youtube?
    Well, i was seriously thinking about making bibim naeng myun, i already bought the buckwheat noodles(altought it is VERY short compared to yours) but i’m a little concerned… i dont have all the ingredients but looking the commentaries i saw that its possible to change some of them, could you tell me if it is possible to make bibim naeng myun with these “settings”:
    – Short buckwheat noodles (yeah, i know, thats not a big deal)
    – use radish instead of mustard powder
    – more pear/sugar instead of corn syrup
    – can i make it without the icy broth?
    You see, i think its strange because all the korean restaurants i went they put radish and i dont know if they use this broth, but the sauce looks watery, altought its 100% red…
    help! :)
    thx

  12. i just made the cold noodles lolz it was sooo goooddd i kinda cheated tho lolz i bought already made radish kimchee lolz

  13. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Nancy,
    oh, yeah? Here in New York is getting cold! I feel like having hot noodle soup instead of cold noodles. : )

  14. Hey Maangchi!!! lolz its a hot day here in San Francisco CA so i thought y not make some cold noodle : ) ill tell u how it turns out ; )

  15. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    jenny,
    If you don’t have yeolmu kimchi. I suggest making pickled radish. Slice it thinly by following the same direction for cucumber in this recipe. Don’t discard the liquid coming out from radish and cucumber and use it.

  16. Hi Maangchi,can skip yeolmu kimchi for this recipe ? i hv all ingredients now except yeolmu kimchi.thx

  17. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Ling,
    If you are not accustomed to hot spicy food, it will be spicy. I recommend putting just a little bit of the sauce in your bibimnaengmyun and see if you can handle the spiciness or not. Careful! : )

  18. hi maangchi,

    I have one question about the bibimnaengmyeon, how spicy is the sauce? Because I want to try it but I just don’t know how spicy the sauce is……

  19. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    kEiGh
    yes, kongguksu (콩국수): cold noodle soup made with soybeans!

    I was going to post the recipe before summer finishes this year, but I can’t promise to post it soon. Let’s see. I have so many korean dishes requested by other people. : )

    potbingsu ingredients depend on your taste.
    I use redbeans, ice (ice shaver needed), sugar, milk, small sweet rice cake cubes, fruits (strawberry, pineapple…) and cherry on top.

  20. hi Maangchi,

    Can I ask you a favor? Can you make the dish called Kong guk su (if I’m not mistaken), because the last time that i went to Korea I totally fell deeply in love with that dish, and I really hope you can help me with this..

    And another one, do you know what kind(names) of ingredients are usually used in making pat bing soo??

  21. Nice to meet you Maangchi, and your fantastic blog too! I´m writing from Venezuela (South America). Unfortunately there is only one Korean restaurant here. We LOVE korean food, specially Naengmyeon (Mr. Kim, from the restaurant, told me he adds peanut sauce ¿?). With your wonderful recipes, tomorrow I´ll surprise my son, who will be visiting from another town. Hope I find all the ingredients… Thank you very much for being there! =)

  22. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Dale,
    Welcome to my blog. If you have any questions about the recipe, ask me please.

  23. Hi Maangchi..
    I came across your website today..I think I watched more than half..I was in Busan..Last year and I had this soup and it was sooo good..but I forgot the name..thank you for posting this video now I can make at home..I’m half Japanese..but I just love Korean food..
    Dale

  24. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    UK guy,
    Thank you very much for your compliment!

  25. 우연하게 방문하였습니다.
    정말 맛있게 보이는 냉면만드는법 잘 보고 갑니다.(프로의 손길이 마구마구 느껴집니다 ^^)

    앞으로 종종 들려서 요리좀 배우고 가겠습니다.

    즐거운 하루 되세요~

  26. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Hello, koona 7 and anonymous,

    koona7,
    I go to the korean grocery store in downtown called PAT near christie subway.

    Anonymous,
    Yes, I know the Hmart. I will check the link

    thank you!

  27. Hello Maangchi,

    There is a Korean market that is opening up call Hmart. Will you be going to it? The websit is http://www.Hmart.com We have one here that just open a couple of days ago. I can’t wait to check it out in a couple of days!

  28. Welcome back! I cannot believe you had the enrgy to shoot the video right after you came back from your trip! No jet lag? I love naengmyeon but I’ve never tried making it. I’ll try your recipe. Looks so good! By the way, where do you get your Korean groceries? I live in toronto and looking for a good Korean supermarket. Thanks:)

  29. Looks so yummy!

  30. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    CUB,
    I have never had quince in my life so far, so I can’t give you any recipe. Thank you for asking me anyway.

  31. Welcome back Maangchi! My Dad just came home after a trip and brought back a lot of quince. Do you have any suggestions for using them up? Thanks.

  32. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Hi, Anonymous,

    For 6 servings, double or triple ingredients.

    I still have some leftover red sauce in the refrigerator. The leftover sauce can be used for a long time.

    Don’t forget to use a lot of water when you boil the noodles.

    Good luck with your making naengmyeon!

  33. hello, i have a question. If you want to make 6 servings. can we just triple the ingredients and water? im planning to make food for 6 ppl. or should i make 2 at a time? =] thank you very much.

  34. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    marisa,
    yes, if you don’t have a food processor, chop all ingredients as finely as you can. No problem.
    And also if you don’t have corn syrup or don’t like corn syrup, you can use sugar or more pear.

  35. Hi Maangchi!
    I just watched your video and the bibimnaengmyeon looks soooo tasty!
    Now I’m asking myself a stupid question: can you do the red sauce without a grinder? Because I don’t have one!
    also, can you skip the corn syrup?

More comments to read! Jump to page: 1 2 3

Leave a Reply

You must create a profile and be logged in to post a comment.