Korean Chilled Buckwheat Noodles With Chilled Broth and Kimchi

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated July 25, 2016

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
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Total Time
About 40 minutes
Rating
4(86)
Comments
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This recipe is inspired by the signature Korean summer noodle dish, naeng myung. The traditional dish is made with a strong beef broth. I’m using a vegetarian broth I make with dried mushrooms and kelp, adapted from a recipe in Deborah Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everybody.” You could also use chicken stock. The dish can include chicken or meat, or it can be vegetarian, as this version is, with tofu standing in for chicken. It can also be vegan if you omit the boiled eggs. Make the broth a day ahead so that it will be nice and cold.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4

FOR THE BROTH

  • 6 dried shiitake mushrooms or a small handful of dried porcinis or other dried mushrooms

  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced, or ½ cup chopped chives

  • 1 4- to 6-inch stick of kombu

  • 1 medium carrot, sliced thin

  • A handful of mushroom stems, or a couple of dried shiitakes

  • 5 cups water

  • Soy sauce to taste

  • Salt and sugar to taste

FOR THE SOUP

  • 9 ounces soba noodles (1 package imported)

  • 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

  • 1 cup, tightly packed, cabbage kimchi, cut in thin strips (more to taste; we love it)

  • 6 ounces firm tofu, cut in small cubes

  • 1 bunch scallions, cut lengthwise into threads

  • ½ European cucumber (about 6 ounces), cut into fine 4-inch long julienne

  • ½ Asian pear or firm, ripe plum or pluot, peeled (pear only), seeded and cut into 2- or 3-inch long julienne

  • 2 hardboiled eggs, cut into quarters

  • 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

  • Korean chili powder to taste (optional)

  • Chopped cilantro or sprigs for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

3 grams carbs; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 21 calories; 1 gram fat; 153 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the broth. Combine all the ingredients for the broth except the salt and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Strain. Season to taste with salt and sugar if desired. Place in the refrigerator until cold.

  2. Step 2

    Cook the soba noodles. Drain well and toss with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Place in the refrigerator and chill while you prepare the other ingredients.

  3. Step 3

    Toss the kimchi with the remaining sesame oil and refrigerate. Chill all of the other ingredients.

  4. Step 4

    Divide the noodles among 4 wide bowls. Arrange the tofu, pear or plum and vegetables on top of and around the noodles and top with wedges of boiled egg. Stir the vinegar into the cold broth. Taste and adjust salt and sugar. Ladle into the bowls. Garnish with Korean chili powder and cilantro if desired, and serve. Guests should stir the mixture so that the kimchi flavors the broth and noodles.

Tips

  • You can vary the vegetables and add shredded cooked chicken or sliced beef to the soup. You can also season them before you add them to the soup. The soup is also delicious served hot.

  • Advance preparation: The broth freezes well and can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated. The cooked noodles will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
86 user ratings
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Comments

Karen - Westport CT

This is such an easy and healthy recipe that happens to taste great! Can't recommend it enough!

Tim L.

Used homemade Chicken Stock instead of water, and dried Porcini's instead of Shiitakes. Had no Kombu, so I used 3 snack-size sheets of Nori, 1 tsp. Red Miso Paste, and 1/4 tsp Nutritional Yeast to recreate the umami flavor of the Kombu. Other than all of those tweaks, followed the rest of the recipe verbatim, and it was amazing. Complex, refreshing, the perfect summer meal! Will be craving this again in the future, guaranteed.

GraceFace

The broth could definitely use more salt, or a few tablespoons of soy sauce to give it more flavor. Allow plenty of time for the broth to chill as the flavors will be more pronounced when you partake in the dish.

david

Excellent recipe and lends well to flex it and make it yours. Didn’t have Kombu so I used dashi powder, bonito flakes, dried mushrooms, and did 2 cups of vegetable broth, 3 cups of water. Excellent.

Grace

This is great but definitely plan accordingly for how long the broth takes to chill!!! I sped it up by just adding a couple ice cubes. I added miso paste and extra soy sauce as I didn’t have any kombu. I also added radishes in the soup as they’re nice and crunchy.

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