Bibim Naengmyeon (Spicy cold noodles) is a perfect way to beat the summer heat! It’s cold, spicy, sweet and tangy. Everything you need is all in one bowl!
One of my favourite ways of beating the summer heat is having Bibim Naengmyeon (비빔냉면). If you translate these words in plain English, it means ‘cold mixed noodles’.
As with Bibimbap (Korean mixed rice), the words “Bibim (mixed)” often project “SPICY” even though it is not necessarily the case all the time. So, Bibim Naengmyeon is often described as Korean spicy cold noodles.
A lot of Koreans love eating Bibim Naengmyeon in summer because it’s served cold. Sometimes, it’s even served with shredded ice made with beef broth. For sure, you will be forgetting that it’s summer while you’re eating these noodles. 🙂
Bibim Naengmyeon is served with spicy chilled bibim sauce along with sweet, tangy and crunchy radish pickles and sweet, juicy and crispy Asian pear. Seriously, who can say no to this combination?! 🙂
On a side note, Bibim Naengmyeon has a twin sibling. It’s called Mul Naengmyeon (물냉면). It’s cold noodles served in a chilled broth made from beef or Korean radish water kimchi. This noodle dish is not spicy unless you decide to throw in some spicy sauce. I will share the recipe at some other time!
Now, back to the Bibim Naengmyeon story again.
Other than summer, another popular time to eat Bibim Naengmyeon is after having Korean Charcoal BBQ at a restaurant. As you finish up the last bits of chargrilled meat in a smokey hot but a nonetheless delicious room, what better way to end the Korean BBQ than with Bibim Naengmyeon, right?
These Korean restaurants typically serve the sauce and the broth that was brewed for a few days to offer extra deliciousness!
I can boldly say that my recipe is as good as those restaurants’. 😉 I hope you enjoy making them and beat the summer heat and humidity! I also included tips and notes that are essential to making a delicious Bibim Naengmyeon experience near the end, so don’t miss those tips!
P.S. I love summer noodles, and I have a couple more summer perfect Korean cold noodle dishes on my website! So be sure to check them out too. (Click the respective names of the dishes below to get the recipe.)
- Spicy Cold Kimchi Noodles
- Cucumber Soba Noodles with Sweet Chilli Dressing
- Korean Spicy Chewy Noodles (Jjolmyeon)
- Spicy, Sweet and Vinegary Noodles (Bibim Guksu)
Ingredients for Bibim Naengmyeon (2 large 0r 3 medium servings)
Main
- 350g/12.3 ounces dried naengmyeon noodles (Korean buckwheat noodles)
- 150g/5.3 ounces beef brisket (*see note)
- 5 cups water (*see note)
- 50g/1.8 ounces Korean radish (or daikon, pink radish), thinly sliced or julienned
- 50g/1.8 ounces Asian pear (or Bosc pear), thinly sliced or julienned
- 60g/2.1 ounces English cucumber, seeds removed, thinly sliced or julienned
- 1 hard boiled egg, halved
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- A dash of sesame oil
Bibim sauce
- 20g/0.7 ounces Asian pear
- 20g/0.7 ounces brown onion
- 1/4 cup reserved beef broth (from step 1 below) or water (*see note)
- 3 Tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 Tbsp raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp Korean chilli paste (gochujang)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple vinegar
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
Radish pickle sauce (mix these together and microwave it for 30 to 40 seconds to melt the sugar)
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 3 Tbsp apple vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water
* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250ml
**If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients list!
How to Make Bibim Naengmyeon
1.Soak the brisket in a bowl of water and set aside for 20 mins to draw the blood out. Drain the water. Add the water (5 cups) and the brisket into a medium to large pot, cover with the lid and boil them over high heat. Skim off any scum that forms. Once the water starts to rolling boil, reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer until the brisket is tender and cooked (I boiled them for 1 hour total. This should result in about 3 cups of broth.) Take out the meat onto a plate. Cool down the meat and the broth for 30 mins. Cut off any stringy fat and thinly slice the brisket.
2. Soak the radish in the radish pickle sauce. Set aside until the radish is softened (about 20 mins). Cover and refrigerate until you need them. FYI, the longer you pickle, the less bitter the radish becomes.
3. Combine all the bibim sauce ingredients and blend until pureed. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
4. Cook the noodles in boiling water until softened (about 2 to 3 mins). Stir often during boiling. The noodle texture should be chewy and bouncy. Drain the water and rinse the noodles under cold running water a couple of times to cool down. Drain the water quickly and divide the noodle portions for serving. Place the mound of noodles into a serving bowl.
5. Place the sliced beef, radish pickles, cucumber, pear and boiled egg on top of the noodles. Add the bibim sauce on top. Drizzle some sesame oil and sparingly sprinkle roasted sesame seeds. (Refer above pictures for decoration ideas.) Serve immediately.
Tips – How to Eat Bibim Naengmyeon
- Cut through the noodles with kitchen scissors a couple of times to make them easier to mix and eat.
- If you want to dilute the spiciness or want to give some moisture to the noodles when you eat, you can pour in some reserved beef broth from step 1. This broth can be added in cold or warm. You can even freeze this broth in ice cube trays and eat the noodles extra cold!
- At a restaurant, they have yellow mustard paste and vinegar on standby at the table. If you want an extra spice kick or zing, you can add a small spoonful of these on the noodles.
Note
- Step 1 to 3 can be done ahead of time (i.e. a day before noodle assembly). This helps develop more flavour in the sauce and keep them chilled longer. Also, it makes the workload “seem lighter” as the work is done over 2 days.
- A classic version of bibim naengmyeon sauce is made with beef brisket broth or bone broth. However if you have a particular dietary requirement, you can skip the meat/broth together. Just use water. Though I find that sauce made with broth gives more depth of flavour and it is less spicy than the sauce made with water.
- Any leftover broth can be used for other Korean cooking. It’s particularly suitable as a soup base. (e.g. Korean rice cake soup)
Bibim Naengmyeon (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
Ingredients
MAIN
- 350 g dried naengmyeon noodles (Korean buckwheat noodles)
- 150 g beef brisket (*see note above)
- 5 cups water (*see note above)
- 50 g Korean radish (or daikon, pink radish), thinly sliced or julienned
- 50 g Asian pear ( or Bosc pear) thinly sliced or julienned
- 60 g English cucumber (seeds removed, thinly sliced or julienned)
- 1 hard boiled egg (halved)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 dashA dash of roasted sesame seeds toasted sesame seeds
BIBIM SAUCE
- 20 g Asian pear
- 20 g brown onion
- 1/4 cup reserved beef broth (or water) from step 1 below (*see note above)
- 3 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 Tbsp raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp Korean chilli paste (gochujang)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
RADISH PICKLE SAUCE (MIX THESE TOGETHER AND MICROWAVE IT FOR 30 TO 40 SECONDS TO MELT THE SUGAR)
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Soak the brisket in a bowl of water and set aside for 20 mins to draw the blood out. Drain the water. Add the water (5 cups) and the brisket into a medium to large pot, cover with the lid and boil them over high heat. Skim off any scum that forms. Once the water starts to rolling boil, reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer until the brisket is tender and cooked (I boiled them for 1 hour total. This should result in about 3 cups of broth.) Take out the meat onto a plate. Cool down the meat and the broth for 30 mins. Cut off any stringy fats and thinly slice the brisket.
- Soak the radish in the radish pickle sauce. Set aside until the radish is softened (about 20 mins). Cover and refrigerate until you need them. FYI, the longer you pickle, the less bitter the radish becomes.
- Combine all the bibim sauce ingredients and blend until pureed. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Cook the noodles in boiling water until soften (about 2 to 3 mins). Stir often during boiling. The noodle texture should be chewy and bouncy. Drain the water and rinse the noodles under cold running water a couple of times to cool down. Drain the water quickly and divide the noodle portion for serving. Place the mound of noodles into a serving bowl.
- Place the sliced beef, radish pickles, cucumber, pear and boiled egg on top of the noodles. Add the bibim sauce on top. Drizzle some sesame oil and sparingly sprinkle roasted sesame seeds. (Refer above pictures for decoration ideas.) Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I have all the sauce ingredients except Asian pear or your suggested sub of Bosc pear. Can the sauc still be good without the pear, or is there a non-fruit sub? Also, what is brown onion?
I’d like to make just the noodles and sauce, plus maybe julienned red radish and thin-sliced scallion for crunch. It’s what I have. Will it work without the fruit? I have date syrup, would that enhance the sauce instead of raw sugar? Would the scallion and red radish (not Korean) work for crunch in the dish?
The sauce will still work without the pear, but this could lead to more spicy sauce.
Also, brown onion = yellow onion, the most common types of onion. I’m not sure substituting date syrup for sugar. You will just have to give it a go. Also, check this recipe. https://mykoreankitchen.com/spicy-sweet-and-vinegary-noodles-bibim-guksu/ It might suit you better. 🙂
hi there love your website:)
do you think you could consider posting recipes that are vegetarian or meatless? (e.g., cold noodles, japchae, kimchi)? thank you so much
So sad I only tried this now! It’s an AMAZING summer dish, wish I knew about it when living in hot Rio de Janeiro. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I have one question: have you tried making a larger amount of sauce and keeping it on the fridge? If so, how long would it stand?
Hi Julia, You can keep the sauce for a few weeks in the fridge. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Sue,
That’s super helpful to know the length of time the sauce will last in the fridge. Can you freeze the sauce as well without compromising the flavors or texture?
Thanks!
I think so. 🙂
Is there any other fruits that can be substituted instead of Asian pear?
Bosc pear. They are not as juicy and sweet as Asian pear, but it will do. 🙂
Hello Sue, I am brazilian and I must say that you are the one responsable for me and my 9 years old half korean boy, be in love with you, your recipes made me realize that if I had all this help 17 years ago, I would have impressed my mother in law, she never wanted to teach me the korean recipes , but today, I must say, I have got a Hostel in the Centre of São Paulo and My guests just loveeeee My beautfull Kitchen and all the food I cook. I have no words to express My thankness.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for making me feel good about it. 😀
Hi Sue,
I seen your youtube video when you made fish cakes. Thats when I decided I wanted to tey them.
Try them.
Hi Joyce, While I have a fish cake recipe on my blog, I don’t have a youtube video for it yet. 🙂 Anyway, I hope you enjoy my Bibim Naengmyeon recipe!
I am confident this dish is as good as the photography. Absolutely fantastic photos that not only look great but shows the process. This is high art indeed. I was not a fan of cold noodles, but you have convinced me this is good. The Bibim sauce looks very interesting. Can’t wait to try this. I am not sure whether you meant of Apple Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar for the Bibim sauce mixture. I am going to assume the latter.
Thanks so much! I have to admit; I made these noodles two days in a row just so that I get some drool worthy pictures. lol. Is there a difference between apple vinegar and apple cider vinegar? I used a Korean brand, and all it said was apple vinegar. The colour is somewhat similar to this one.
Want to try this recipe for one of our “hot” days in the Central Valley. Thank you!
OMG, Central valley is a hot place! 🙂 I hope these noodles will cool you down! Enjoy!