Bibim Naengmyeon
The star of bibim naengmyeon is the sauce: a sweet, spicy, tangy mixture that combines well with the chewy noodles. While egg and beef often top this dish, this version skips it for a no-fuss vegan meal. For a more satisfying meal, top it with slices of fried or grilled tofu. It's best to eat this dish immediately. The noodles become stiff and hard to mix the longer they sit.
Ingredients
- 1 pound naengmyeon noodles or soba noodles
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons agave syrup maple syrup, honey or brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 English cucumber cut into matchsticks
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Fried tofu slices (optional)
- Pickled radish slices (optional)
- Chopped green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix gochujang, vinegar, agave (or other sweetener), soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl.
- Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to cool; drain completely. (You can add ice cubes to the colander for colder noodles.) You can cut the noodles into smaller pieces if you want to make them easier to eat.
- Divide the noodles among 6 bowls. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the sauce on top of each bowl of noodles, then stack about ½ cup of cucumber slices on top of each. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Mix well just before eating.
Notes
Naengmyeon are Korean-style buckwheat noodles. Look for them at Asian markets or online. They sometimes come with a seasoning packet, which you can discard or save for another use.