๐ Easy Kimchi Bibim Guksu — About 10 Minutes After Prep, with Maesil Syrup and Perilla Oil
Thin noodles, crunchy kimchi and a sweet, spicy sauce make a satisfying bowl when you want something quick. Cucumber adds a fresh bite, a boiled egg softens each mouthful, and a little perilla oil leaves a nutty aroma.
This version uses maesil syrup for sweetness and a fruity note, with perilla oil stirred in at the end. Kimchi varies from batch to batch, so add the sugar and kimchi brine gradually rather than assuming you will need every last bit.
Allow about 10 minutes to cook, rinse and dress the noodles once the toppings and boiled egg are ready. Heating the cooking water takes extra time. The main photo shows the cucumber-and-egg version with toasted baguette and sliced white bread alongside.
Two ingredients that shape the flavor
Maesil syrup, a Korean green plum syrup, adds sweetness, acidity and a gentle fruit aroma. The 15 ml in this recipe does not remove the kimchi's acidity, but its sweetness can make a sharp sour edge taste more balanced. If your kimchi is already sweet, you may need less sugar.
The 7.5 ml of perilla oil goes in last for its distinctive nutty aroma. It tastes different from sesame oil. Draining the noodles well also matters: leftover rinse water can thin the sauce and dilute its flavor.
⏱ At a glance
- Servings: 1
- Cooking and mixing: about 10 minutes with toppings and a boiled egg prepared; excludes heating the water
- Optional side: toasted baguette or sliced bread, additional to the serving and cooking time above
- Difficulty: easy
- Equipment: saucepan, colander, large mixing bowl and chopsticks or tongs
- Measures: 1 tablespoon = 15 ml; 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. Weigh ingredients listed in grams
๐ Ingredients
Noodles and kimchi
- Dried somyeon: 100 g, thin Korean wheat noodles
- Napa cabbage kimchi: 80 g after trimming and chopping
- Kimchi brine: 30 ml (2 tablespoons) for the basic version; prepare 15 ml if using the young radish kimchi topping. Add gradually
- Water for cooking the noodles: 1,500 ml
- Cold water to help control foaming: 50 ml, added in small amounts only if needed
- Cold water for rinsing: plenty; an ice bath is optional for colder noodles
Choose one topping combination
- A: Cucumber and egg. 30 g prepared cucumber, cut into fine matchsticks, and 1/2 of a large boiled egg. This is the version in the photo
- B: Seaweed and young radish kimchi. 5 g seasoned seaweed flakes and 50 g prepared yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi). These are added to the basic 80 g cabbage kimchi. Consider their saltiness when seasoning
Sauce
- Gochujang: 15 g, Korean red chili paste
- Sugar: prepare 10 g and use gradually to taste
- Maesil syrup: 15 ml (1 tablespoon), Korean green plum syrup
- Perilla oil: 7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon), to finish
- Sesame seeds: 3 g
Adjusting sweetness and consistency
Both kimchi and maesil syrup vary in sweetness. Mix the sauce and taste as you add the sugar; you may not need all 10 g.
If you do not have maesil syrup, add a little Korean oligosaccharide syrup to taste. It will not provide the same fruit aroma, and it is not a fixed one-for-one substitute. Add a small splash of vinegar only if the sauce needs more acidity. Omit it if the kimchi is already sour enough.
You can replace the sugar with powdered or liquid allulose, or honey for cooking. Follow the product's sugar-replacement guidance and start with a small amount. Equal weights do not necessarily give equal sweetness, and honey varies in aroma. Use the chosen sweetener instead of the sugar, not in addition to it. Liquid sweeteners also add moisture, so hold back some kimchi brine and check the consistency.
๐ฉ๐ณ Cook and mix
1. Prepare the toppings and sauce
Have the cucumber and boiled egg, or the seaweed and young radish kimchi, ready. In a large bowl, combine 80 g cabbage kimchi, 15 g gochujang and 15 ml maesil syrup. Add the sugar gradually from the prepared 10 g, tasting as you go. If using allulose or honey, add it here instead of sugar.
Start with only part of the kimchi brine: prepare 30 ml for the basic version or 15 ml for the young radish kimchi version. Add more as needed, allowing for liquid released by the kimchi and any liquid sweetener. You do not have to use it all. Having the sauce ready means the rinsed noodles can go straight into it.
2. Cook and rinse the noodles
Bring 1,500 ml water to a boil. Spread in 100 g dried somyeon and stir gently to separate the strands. Follow the package cooking time, starting to check around 3 minutes. The product and thickness may require more time.
If foam rises toward the rim, lower the heat first. Add a little of the prepared 50 ml cold water if needed to control the foaming. You do not have to use all of it.
Lift out a strand, cool it in cold water and taste. It should be tender with a pleasant chew and no hard center. Drain into a colander and cool under cold running water, gently rubbing the noodles together to rinse away surface starch. For colder noodles, briefly dip them in an ice bath. Finally, shake the colander and drain thoroughly so rinse water does not dilute the sauce.
3. Toss and top
Add the drained noodles to the sauce. Gently lift and separate the strands with chopsticks or tongs until evenly coated. Mix in 7.5 ml perilla oil and 3 g sesame seeds at the end.
Transfer to a bowl. Top with 30 g cucumber and the boiled egg half, or 5 g seasoned seaweed and 50 g young radish kimchi. Serve promptly: rinsed noodles can soften or stick together if left standing.
๐ก Ajumma's Tips
- Keep the sauce from becoming watery: drain the noodles well and add kimchi brine gradually. Pay particular attention when combining young radish kimchi with a liquid sweetener
- Taste the kimchi first: adjust sugar to its sweetness and acidity. Maesil syrup already adds sweetness, so the full amount of sugar may not be needed
- Look after the oil's aroma: follow the perilla oil label's storage instructions; close the bottle tightly and refrigerate after opening
๐ง Turn the remaining noodles into a brothy bowl
If you feel like some cold broth partway through, you can change the noodles in your own bowl. This continues the original serving; it does not make a second serving.
For this optional variation, prepare 100 ml cold water and 150 ml kimchi brine separately from the sauce ingredients. In a small bowl, add brine to the cold water little by little. Pour the mixture over the noodles gradually, tasting as you go. You do not have to use all of it. Add more cold water if it tastes too salty.
The gochujang and perilla oil dressing will mix into the liquid. This is a brothy version of the sweet, spicy noodles, with a different flavor from noodles served in clear water-kimchi broth.
๐ฅ Toasted bread and a little soup
You can serve plain toasted baguette or sliced white bread alongside, as shown in the photo. There is no need to buy both: use whichever you have. Slice the baguette or cut sandwich bread into manageable pieces, then toast in a dry pan over low heat, turning until golden and crisp. Bread is an optional extra, outside the basic serving and cooking time.
Serve it as plain toast for a crisp contrast to the noodles. If the noodle bowl is enough for your meal, leave the bread out.
Cold dongchimi, Korean radish water kimchi, is another refreshing accompaniment. For something warm, try a clear fish cake soup or egg soup. Enjoy the crunchy kimchi, cool cucumber and nutty perilla aroma while the noodles are freshly mixed.
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