Refreshing Tray-Style Jjolmyeon (Spicy & Tangy Noodle Salad)
Wake up your taste buds with the zesty, sweet, and subtly spicy sauce of Tray-Style Jjolmyeon!
Escape the richness of holiday feasts! Refresh your palate with our signature Jjolmyeon bibimjang (spicy sauce), a perfect balance of tangy and sweet. This dish is designed to cleanse your taste buds after indulging in oily holiday meals.
Jjolmyeon Ingredients
- 4 servings Jjolmyeon noodles
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 carrot
- 1/4 red cabbage
- 10 perilla leaves
- 2/3 cucumber
Spicy & Tangy Bibimjang Sauce
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 4 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo syrup)
- 6 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 6 Tbsp vinegar
- 6 Tbsp Sprite (or other clear soda)
- A little sesame oil
- A little sesame seeds
- 1/2 Tbsp prepared mustard
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 4 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo syrup)
- 6 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 6 Tbsp vinegar
- 6 Tbsp Sprite (or other clear soda)
- A little sesame oil
- A little sesame seeds
- 1/2 Tbsp prepared mustard
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s make the bibimjang sauce for the Tray-Style Jjolmyeon. In a bowl or pot, combine all the sauce ingredients EXCEPT for the sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix them well. This sauce is best when it’s allowed to ‘marinate’ or ‘rest’ in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This resting period allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. If you have the time, letting it rest for 2-3 hours will yield an even more complex and delicious flavor.
Step 2
Now, let’s prepare the perfectly boiled eggs. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Carefully add the eggs to the boiling water. To ensure the yolks are centered and the eggs don’t crack, gently stir them in one direction with chopsticks or a spoon for the first minute. Then, continue boiling for another 7-8 minutes. Once cooked, immediately transfer the eggs to an ice bath to cool down quickly. Once cooled, peel them and slice them in half.
Step 3
We’ll start julienning the vegetables. For the carrot, peel it and then slice it as thinly as possible, about 0.2 cm thick, using a peeler or a knife. Aim for uniform strips for the best presentation and texture.
Step 4
For the crisp cucumber, wash it thoroughly. Then, using a peeler or a knife, ‘channel knife’ it by carefully shaving off the skin, avoiding the seedy core. This method helps to reduce the watery texture of the cucumber.
Step 5
After channel-knifing the cucumber, thinly slice the flesh part into strips, about 0.2 cm thick, discarding the seedy core. Be careful not to make the slices too thick, as this can release excess water.
Step 6
Take the fragrant perilla leaves and get ready to slice them. Remove the tough stems from the perilla leaves. Then, roll them up tightly and slice them thinly into strips, about 0.3 cm wide. Gently shake the leaves as you slice to prevent them from clumping together.
Step 7
Next, julienne the red cabbage. Use a mandoline slicer for quick and even cuts, or carefully slice it with a knife into thin strips, approximately 0.2 cm thick.
Step 8
It’s time to cook the Jjolmyeon noodles! Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling vigorously, carefully separate the clumped Jjolmyeon noodles and add them to the boiling water one by one. Stir immediately to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.
Step 9
Jjolmyeon cooks very quickly. When the noodles start to look translucent, usually after about 1-2 minutes, immediately remove them from the boiling water and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. This is a crucial step: gently rub the noodles between your palms as you rinse them, like washing laundry. This action removes excess starch, making the noodles chewier and preventing them from becoming mushy. After rinsing, drain them very well in a colander.
Step 10
Finally, it’s time to assemble! Get a large, wide plate or a platter ready. Artfully arrange the prepared vegetables around the edge of the plate, creating a colorful border. Layer the vegetables in this order: carrot, cucumber, red cabbage, and perilla leaves. Place the drained Jjolmyeon noodles in the center. Generously spoon the prepared bibimjang sauce over the noodles. Drizzle with a little sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds for the perfect finishing touch. Your delicious and refreshing Tray-Style Jjolmyeon is ready to be mixed and enjoyed!
