Bibim Guksu is spicy Korean noodles that is served cold and can easily be prepared in 10 minutes. It is super refreshing, especially on hot summer days!
If you are familiar with Bibimbap, Bibim Guksu is its noodle counterpart. One of the best things about the dish is that there is no cooking time apart from cooking the noodles.
Since in Korea, summer times are hot and humid, cold noodles are a perfect way to beat the heat! You just need to open the stove for three minutes, then you’re good to go! It won’t add any more heat to your home and you can enjoy a great meal!
Other cold noodle dishes you might enjoy are Dongchimi Guksu and Kongguksu!
Type of Noodles Used in Bibimguksu
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For this recipe, we commonly use Somyeon Noodles. It is chewy, bouncy, and tasty in itself which makes eating it an experience~
Upon cooking the noodles, it is important to mix them continuously to prevent them from sticking to each other. Afterward, wash it with cold water and make sure to give it air by lifting it up and rubbing it so the noodles become chewier. Do it all with your hand so it gives “son-mat” or “hand taste” which will certainly make this recipe for spicy cold noodles taste like home!
Among the many types of noodles we have, you can also use soba or angel hair pasta. You want thin types of noodles so the sauce can cut through easily.
How to make Spicy Cold Noodle Sauce?
The main base of the sauce is gochugaru (or red pepper flakes), gochujang (or red pepper paste), sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil. Those mixed together are already enough and can also be used as a bibimbap sauce! Dual purpose!!
To kick it up a notch, I like blending garlic, apple, pineapple, soda, and pineapple juice. These additional ingredients will solidify the sweetness and tanginess, and balance the overall spice of the sauce.
Most of the ingredients used in this very easy Bibim Guksu recipe can easily be found in the pantry, that’s why I really love making this! But some notes…
- Gochugaru and Sugar: You can reduce them according to your tolerance for spice and sweets
- Pineapple, Apple, Sesame Seeds: If you have allergens for these, feel free to leave them out. Or for apples, you can also use pear in place of it.
- Soda: You can use either Sprite, 7Up, or Ginger Ale
- Vinegar: My preference for vinegar is Korean Apple Vinegar, but feel free to use rice, cider, or cane vinegar, whatever is available in your pantry!
TIP: My secret to making spicy cold noodle sauce is to make it one day in advance. Storing it in the fridge for about 24 hours will help make the ingredients come together and make the flavor richer. Trust me, it’s gonna be fire!!
Serving: Meat or Veggies??
The best pairing for this is hands down Korean BBQ! It’s my favorite! But this can also go with Chicken BBQ, Soybean Pork Belly, Bulgogi, or Fried Dumplings! The refreshing taste of the noodles will easily cut through any savory meat.
The OG recipe, however, is just to top it with some kimchi, nori, and sesame seeds. If you wanna make it healthier and even more refreshing, add some julienned cucumber, lettuce, and perilla leaves. All these would give it layers and textures that will make eating the noodles even more enjoyable!! This bibimguksu is definitely suitable for vegetarians!
Ever thought about pasta salads and weirdly enough they work really well?? Well, this is the Asian version of that! It’s sweet, spicy, tangy, crunchy, and refreshing. It’s different from the usual but it’s definitely easy to make and I would love to hear how you like this recipe!
Other noodle recipes you might like:
- Kalguksu (Hancut Noodles)
- Dotori Guksu (Acorn Noodle Soup)
- Jajangmyeon (Black Bean Noodles)
- Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
- Jjampong (Spicy Seafood Noodles)
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Spicy Cold Noodles (Bibim Guksu)
Ingredients
- 200 grams Somyeon Noodles
- 1 tsp Salt
Sauce
- 5 tbsp Gochugaru or Korean Red Pepper Flakes
- 5 tbsp Gochujang or Korean Red Pepper Paste
- 5 tbsp Sugar
- 6 tbsp Vinegar (Apple, Rice, Cane, or Cider)
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Garlic
- 100 grams Apple
- 1 slice Pineapple
- 3 tbsp Pineapple Juice
- 5 tbsp Soda (Sprite, 7Up, or Ginger Ale)
Garnish
- Kimchi As much as you like
- Nori As much as you like
- Sesame Seeds Garnish
- Cucumber Optional
- Lettuce Optional
- Perilla Leaves Optional
- Hard Boiled Egg Optional
Instructions
- Boil water with salt. Add the noodles and boil for 3-4 minutes, make sure to mix to keep the noodles from sticking to each other.
- Drain noodles and rinse them vigorously with cold water to remove excess starch and make it chewier. Set aside to drain.
- In a bowl, mix gochugaru, gochujang, sugar, apple vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Blend garlic, apple, pineapple, soda, and pineapple juice.
- Mix the two sauce together.
- To serve, put half the noodles in a bowl, put about 5 tbsp of sauce or as much as you like, then top with kimchi, nori, and sesame seeds.
- Optional: Top with vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, perilla leaves, and egg.
You are fantastic chef thank you for giving up all the recipes 👍👏
Thanks Star!!!
Hi, Chris
What’s a good substitute for sugar? Would honey work?
Thanks!
Val
Sure! Substitute with your preferred sweetener, but do note that I have not yet tried doing so, so there might be a difference in taste. Hope it works out! Enjoy!!