Spicy & Sweet Chilled Baek Kimchi Broth Naengmyeon
#BaekKimchiNaengmyeon #SpicyNoodles #PickledRadishNoodles #ChilledNoodles #EasyNaengmyeon #HomemadeNaengmyeon
This recipe features a refreshing Baek Kimchi broth mixed with spicy bibim (mixed) noodles, enhanced with a homemade pickled radish side dish. While the store-bought Haeju Naengmyeon kit comes with spicy sauce, mustard, and noodles, it lacks pickled radish. So, we’ll create a quick and delicious pickled radish by salting radish, then marinating it in a sweet and sour pickle brine. We’ll combine the spicy sauce with the refreshing Baek Kimchi broth for a balanced, flavorful, and cool noodle dish perfect even for beginners.
Noodle Ingredients
- Haeju Naengmyeon 2 servings
- Baek Kimchi broth 6 ladles
- Boiled eggs 2
- Homemade pickled radish (as desired)
Pickled Radish Ingredients
- Radish 400g
- Coarse sea salt 1 Tbsp
- Pickle vinegar 5 Tbsp
- Water 100ml
- Radish 400g
- Coarse sea salt 1 Tbsp
- Pickle vinegar 5 Tbsp
- Water 100ml
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the star of our naengmyeon: the crunchy pickled radish. Wash the radish thoroughly.
Step 2
Slice the radish thinly into rounds, about 2-3mm thick. If they’re too thick, they won’t absorb the flavor well, and if they’re too thin, they’ll lose their crunch. Aim for a moderate thickness.
Step 3
In a bowl, combine the sliced radish with 1 Tbsp of coarse sea salt and a little water. Mix well to coat. The salt will draw out moisture, making the radish crisp, and begin to season it. Let it pickle for about 2 hours. Stirring it once halfway through will help it pickle more evenly.
Step 4
After 2 hours, rinse the pickled radish under cold running water to remove excess salt. Taste a piece to check the saltiness. If it’s too salty, rinse it 2-3 times; if it’s just right, a single rinse will suffice. Squeeze out as much water as possible.
Step 5
To the squeezed radish, add 5 Tbsp of pickle vinegar and 100ml of water. Mix everything thoroughly. Pickle vinegar has a stronger sweet and sour flavor than regular vinegar, making it perfect for pickled radish. Let this marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 days until it develops a delicious sweet and sour taste.
Step 6
The finished pickled radish should be crisp and bursting with a sweet and sour flavor. At this point, discard all the pickle vinegar brine the radish was stored in. Leaving it too long can make the radish mushy or overly vinegary. Set aside your perfectly pickled radish.
Step 7
Now, let’s prepare the Haeju Naengmyeon. This is a frozen product, so make sure to thaw it completely in the refrigerator before cooking.
Step 8
Inside the kit, you’ll find a spicy sauce, mustard sauce, and the naengmyeon noodles. Haeju Naengmyeon is known for its spiciness, so to control the heat, we’ll use only one serving of the sauce.
Step 9
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and cook the naengmyeon noodles according to the package instructions. Once cooked, immediately rinse them thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess starch. Drain them very well. In a bowl, combine the drained noodles with one packet of the spicy sauce and one packet of the mustard sauce, and mix well to coat evenly.
Step 10
Transfer the well-mixed spicy naengmyeon to a serving bowl. Even with just one serving of sauce, the spicy aroma is quite strong!
Step 11
Generously top the noodles with the prepared crunchy pickled radish. It adds a beautiful color and a delightful contrast in flavor. Add a halved boiled egg on top.
Step 12
To balance the spiciness and add a refreshing coolness, prepare the Baek Kimchi broth. Adding this broth will mellow out the heat of the noodles and introduce the subtle sweetness and refreshing taste characteristic of Baek Kimchi, elevating the overall flavor of the dish.
Step 13
Pour about 3 ladles of the Baek Kimchi broth into each bowl. While we’ve mixed the noodles with spicy sauce, adding the broth makes it a refreshing, almost like a cold noodle soup, experience. (We haven’t added sesame seeds or oil as they tend to pair better with dry bibim naengmyeon and might overpower the delicate Baek Kimchi broth flavor.) Even after mixing with the broth, the noodles can still be quite spicy. However, this is where the sweet and sour pickled radish truly shines! Wrap the pickled radish around the noodles as you eat for the ultimate flavor combination. Enjoy!
