Chilled noodles in a light and savory broth is such a refreshing meal when it’s hot outside. Korean cold noodles are my favorite meals during the summer because each bite is full of crunchy cucumber, sweet Korean pear, pickled radish, chewy noodles, and tender beef brisket. From pre-made radish kimchi to finding the best type of noodles to buy at the grocery store, let me show you how to make this dish at home.
Types of naengmyeon / Korean cold noodles
Korean cold noodles, also known as naengmyeon, is a chilled and refreshing soup perfect for hot summer days. These noodles originated from North Korea, and now there are different varieties like mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon.
Mul naengmyeon has a cold soup base of beef broth and dongchimi pickling liquid mixed with long, thin noodles and topped with tender beef, pickled radish, fresh cucumber, and sweet Korean pears. Mul naengmyeon translates roughly to “water cold noodles.”
Bibim naengmyeon is served dry with a spicy, vinegary gochujang-based dressing. It’s still eaten as a cold dish with buckwheat noodles and has toppings of fresh cucumber slices, Korean pears, and roasted sesame seeds.
On hot days, we typically eat mul naengmyeon at our local Korean restaurants to cool off. Some of our favorite spots are Mo Ran Gak and Yigah. We also like to stock the fridge with premade Korean cold noodle packets from our local H-Mart in case we get hungry. These premade packets come with fresh noodles, seasoned broth, and mustard.
Ingredients in the brisket broth
Korean cold noodles are made from beef broth and dongchimi broth (also known as water radish kimchi). Let’s start with the brisket broth.
Since Korean cold noodles are made using different recipes and ingredients, we like to prepare the beef broth a day ahead of time. This way, we can chill the broth overnight in the fridge, season the next day with dongchimi broth, and then pop it into the freezer an hour before serving.
Korean cold noodles have a beef broth base made from stewing brisket in a pot with aromatics for several hours until the meat is soft and tender. We prefer to make brisket broth at home so we can customize our soup better and we would also have to buy meat anyways if we had premade broth. Here are all the ingredients we add to the pot of water:
- Beef brisket is the perfect cut of meat for this dish because the stewing time tenderizes the meat while creating a rich broth. The relatively lean, gristle-free, and bone-free cut keeps this dish simple.
- Korean beef stock powder adds even more flavor and a bit of salt to the broth. We use the CJ Sogogi Dashida variety, but you can also use another beef bouillon brand like Better than Bouillon beef powder. If you’re using a different brand, only add half the amount of powder at first and taste test before adding additional teaspoons. You’ll want a hint of salt and more pronounced beef flavor. Some American brands of bouillon can be too salty and you want to prevent oversalting the broth.
- Korean radish gives a faint sweetness and peppery flavor to the broth.
- Fresh aromatics of garlic, ginger, white onion, and the white part of the scallions offer a deeper flavor to the broth.
- Whole black peppercorns add a hint of peppery flavor.
Seasoning the brisket broth
The other major component added to the brisket broth is the dongchimi broth. Save time and buy premade dongchimi from your local Korean grocery store like H-Mart. We buy the Chin Jung Food water radish kimchi variety. When you’re ready to make your Korean cold noodle soup, combine the beef broth with the dongchimi broth.
For extra flavor, season the soup with Korean soy sauce and granulated sugar. It’s best to use Korean soy sauce, like the Chosun Ganjang brand, which is specifically made for soup. It’s lighter in flavor and naturally brewed. Note that the flavor of the broth can vary depending on how long the kimchi has fermented, so taste your broth and season as you go.
Based on this recipe’s beef broth and our premade dongchimi liquid, we prefer these ratios for our Korean cold noodles:
- Broth ratio: 1 part dongchimi liquid to 2 parts beef broth
- Seasoning ratio: 1 part sugar to 6 parts Korean soup soy sauce
Here’s some tips on how to season your soup:
- Taste test the dongchimi to see how sweet, tangy, and fermented the liquid is.
- Start with a balanced ratio of beef broth and dongchimi liquid, adding seasoning ingredients, beef broth, or liquid as needed.
- If you prefer a tangier, fermented flavor, add more dongchimi liquid.
- If you want a richer, savory flavor, add more beef broth and soy sauce.
- If you want to balance out the pickled, tangy flavor of the dongchimi liquid, add more sugar.
- Note that once the soup broth is chilled and semi-frozen, the flavor will also slightly dilute, so keep this in mind when seasoning. You can also always adjust the seasoning as you eat.
Slightly frozen broth
Once you’ve seasoned your Korean cold noodle soup base, place it in the freezer approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour before you want to eat. This gives you a slushy and cold consistency for these extra-cold noodles.
Types of noodles to use
There are different types of noodles you can buy for naengmyeon. Korean cold noodles are typically made from buckwheat and other ingredients like arrowroot or sweet potato starch. One of the most popular varieties is called pyeongyang naengmyeon, which is made from buckwheat and has a soft texture with brown coloring.
For Korean cold noodles, we prefer using chik naengmyeon (made with arrowroot starch and kudzu) or Hamheung naengmyeon (made with potato starch) because they’re chewier. Chik naengmyeon is also darker than Pyeongyang and Hamheung naengmyeon.
When shopping at the grocery store, look at the back of the ingredients list to identify which noodles contain these ingredients. Some might still be labeled buckwheat noodles on the front label and not indicate that it also includes potato starch or arrowroot starch, which could make them chewier than 100% buckwheat.
Toppings to add to mul naengmyeon
Korean cold noodles are served with an array of toppings that are just as important:
- Tender brisket slices from the stewed beef broth are the main protein in the soup. It’s served chilled, like everything else in the soup, and cut into thin slices.
- Sliced pickled Korean radish has a sweet and tangy flavor. You can use the pickled radish from the dongchimi or buy premade pickled radish wraps from the Korean grocery store.
- Thinly sliced Korean pears add a refreshingly sweet topping to the soup.
- Fresh cucumbers add more crunchy texture. While you can add freshly cut batons, we thinly slice them and slightly pickle them with rice vinegar.
- Boiled eggs are a nice treat in the soup and add more protein. Smaller eggs are easier to eat in one bite, so we buy premade, marinated quail eggs from H-Mart. You can usually find them in the fridged banchan area. If you don’t have access to this, larger chicken eggs work fine too.
- Roasted sesame seeds give a nice nutty flavor to the soup.
To add even more flavor to the soup, you can add Korean hot mustard, roasted sesame oil, or rice vinegar (or white vinegar). As always, Korean food is eaten with an array of banchan, or side dishes, like kimchi, kongnamul (cold seasoned bean sprouts), japchae (Korean glass noodles), or gamja salad (Korean potato salad).
According to the FDA, you can prep the broth and stewed meats, and it will last up to two days in the fridge. This recipe serves four, so you can eat leftovers the next day or host a dinner party.
Tips for Korean cold noodle success
- Make it easier on yourself by making beef broth the day before. Making the broth ahead gives you time to chill the broth overnight in the fridge. The next day, you can place the broth in the freezer an hour before to get a slushy consistency.
- Taste test as you season the soup base with beef broth and dongchimi liquid. Dongchimi liquid can be tangier, sweeter, or lighter depending on the fermentation, especially if you buy a premade dongchimi jar. This can affect the overall broth and your preference. Use our guide above on how to season properly.
- Cook the noodles just before you serve. Regardless of the variety of naengmyeon noodles, we’ve found that they cook VERY quickly. Prevent noodles clumping by making this your last step before assembling the bowls and serving.
- If you don’t have time to make broth nor want to go to a restaurant, you can buy the premade packets in the refrigerator section that come with fresh noodles, broth, and mustard. There are also dry packets with dry noodles and powdered seasoning that you add with water.
- Remember to buy or make toppings, add-on ingredients, and side dishes. For an easier recipe, buy premade pickled radish (or use the radish in the dongchimi), marinated egg, and banchan.
Mul Naengyeon / Korean Cold Noodles
Ingredients
Brisket broth
- 16 oz beef brisket
- 12 c water
- 3 tsp Korean beef stock powder
- 2 ½ c chopped Korean radish
- ¼ c smashed garlic
- 1 inch ginger sliced
- 3 scallions just the white parts
- 2 ½ c chopped white onion
- 1 tsp whole Black peppercorns
Cold noodle broth
- brisket broth
- dongchimi liquid
- Korean soy sauce
- white granulated cane sugar
Assembly and toppings
- 2 servings buckwheat noodles
- cucumbers sliced thinly
- pickled Korean radish julienned
- Korean pears julienned
- boiled egg
- roasted sesame seeds
- hot Korean mustard
- roasted sesame oil
- vinegar
Equipment Used
- measuring cups and spoons
- cutting board and knife
- stockpot with lid
- mixing bowl large enough to fit brisket
- tongs
- spatula
- foil or towel
- freezer-safe food-safe containers
- Strainer
Instructions
Brisket broth
- In a large mixing bowl, add the 16 oz beef brisket and fill with cold water. Let the brisket sit in the water for 20 minutes and then strain.
- In a large stock pot, put all the ingredients: 16 oz beef brisket, 12 c water, 3 tsp Korean beef stock powder, 2 ½ c chopped Korean radish, ¼ c smashed garlic , 1 inch ginger , 3 scallions, 2 ½ c chopped white onion , and 1 tsp whole Black peppercorns.
- Over high heat, bring the pot to a boil for 3 minutes.
- Lower the heat so the liquid is simmering, and cover it with a lid. Check the meat every 30 minutes to test the texture and skim off any floating impurities at the top of the liquid. The brisket is done braising once you can easily pierce it with a fork.
- Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest until it’s cool to the touch. Wrap the meat with foil or a towel and transfer it to the fridge until it’s time to assemble the noodles.
- Strain the stock so it becomes clear, and remove as much of the fat on top as possible. Transfer the stock to a heat-safe container with a lid. Let the stock rest on the counter until it’s cool to the touch.
- Place the stock into the fridge to chill for at least one hour, preferably overnight.
Seasoning the cold broth
- Remove any fat formed on top of the broth and discard.
- Season your brisket broth with dongchimi liquid, Korean soy sauce, and white granulated cane sugar. This process is quite personal based on your taste bud preference, the flavor of your dongchimi broth, the brands of soy sauce you have, and even the strength of your brisket stock. TIP: Start with equal parts brisket stock and dongchimi broth, then add the soy and sugar. Adjust as you go. I prefer a 2:1 ratio of broth to dongchimi and a 6:1 ratio of sugar to Korean soy sauce. For example: 2 cups brisket stock, 1 cup dongchimi broth, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons Korean soy sauce.
- Place the broth in the freezer for 45 minutes to one hour to get a slushy consistency. If it’s cold but not icy at the top or the ice melts very quickly; you’ll need to freeze it further.
Noodles
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Cook 2 servings buckwheat noodles based on the packaging instructions.
- Rinse immediately under cold, running water.
Assembly
- Slice the tender brisket into thin ⅛-inch pieces.
- Add noodles into serving bowls.
- Ladle the slushy broth into each bowl.
- Top with cucumbers, Korean pears, pickled Korean radish, brisket, boiled egg, and roasted sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately with vinegar, hot Korean mustard, and roasted sesame oil.
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