Savory soy sauce and sesame oil blend to make a delicious sauce for this cold noodle dish.

Ganjang Bibim Guksu - Korean Soy Sauce Noodles

Serves 2

This is one of my favorite noodle dishes for warmer weather. Savory soy, sesame oil and mustard combine with the freshness of scallion to make the sauce that coats chewy noodles, enoki mushrooms and crisp cucumber. Served cold, these super simple noodles are satisfying and filling, add a few banchan and you can call it dinner. My soy sauce noodles are a little different as I like to use the marinade from tomatoes or jangajji brine as the base.

Ingredients

Sauce

4 T tomato marinade (recipe here) or jangajji brine or soy sauce

1 T sugar

1 t mirin

0.25 – 0.50 t Asian mustard

1 T soup soy sauce

1 T sesame oil

0.50 – 1 t gochugaru – optional

0.50 t rice vinegar

1/8 t ground black pepper 

Finishing

200-250g somyeon noodles

150g (about ½ a package) enoki mushrooms, separated into bite sized sections

45g (3 - 4) scallions, sliced thinly

50g (1/3) cucumber, julienne

1 T sesame seeds, coarsely ground

Recipe Know-how

1.      Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil.

While the water comes to a boil, continue on to Step 2.

2.      In a small pot, bring the tomato marinade or jangajji brine to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and cool completely.

If using soy sauce, it does not need to be boiled.

• In a medium mixing bowl, place the sugar, mirin and 0.25 t of the mustard.

• Using a spoon, mash the mustard into the sugar to make a mixture that resembles damp sand.

I find this to be the easiest way to incorporate the mustard into the sauce.

• Add the remaining sauce ingredients mixing well to combine and dissolve the sugar.

• Taste and adjust for seasoning as desired.

To add additional mustard, mash the mustard along the side of the bowl while slowly adding the sauce to dissolve.

• Set aside.

3.      Add the noodles and enoki mushrooms to the boiling water.

• Cook according to package directions and drain.

• Rinse with water and shake vigorously in the strainer.

• Allow to drain for 2 minutes, vigorously shaking the strainer every 30 seconds or so.

• Pour the noodles and mushrooms into the sauce and add the scallions.

• Using your hands, toss thoroughly to coat everything with the sauce.

• Divide evenly between 2 bowls.

• Top with the cucumbers and sesame seeds.

4.      Serve immediately.