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    Home » Noodles and Rice

    Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

    Published 05/06/2021. Updated 05/14/2021

    Jump to Recipe

    Bibim guksu is a cold noodle dish with fresh vegetables served in a spicy, sweet and tangy gochujang sauce. Easy, refreshing and delicious!

    DSC9443 2 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

    Bibim guksu is a popular cold noodle dish that’s made with crisp, fresh vegetables.  As with its rice counterpart, bibimbap, it’s very versatile!

    A simple version from my childhood memories is made only with sliced kimchi and fresh cucumbers, kimchi bibim guksu. Sometimes, we didn’t even have kimchi in it, only noodles in a gochujang sauce with cucumber slices on top.

    The addition of lots of fresh vegetables in this recipe makes the dish healthy, cool and refreshing! The result is an incredibly appetizing dish that is perfect for the warm weather!

    DSC9473 01 2 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

    The noodles

    Bibim guksu is usually made with thin wheat flour noodles (somyeon or somen) or buckwheat noodles (memil guksu, aka soba noodles). You can use any thin noodles.

    In Korea, there are many variations of thin noodles made with different grains and/or other additions that add flavors and colors. While buckwheat noodles are my favorite, I also love colorful noodles made with green tea, seaweed, pumpkin, purple sweet potatoes, etc. 

    DSC9402 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

    The toppings

    Here, I kept it simple. I added a few vegetables to create a nice combination of colors, flavors and textures. Other vegetables commonly used are scallions, perilla leaves, and Korean radishes. Red bell peppers, bean sprouts, watercress, spring mix, and avocado are all excellent options for this dish as well.

    A little bit of julienned Korean pear or apple will be great as well. 

    You can also throw in some strips of blanched squid, snails, shrimp, or shredded chicken meat to make it a more substantial dish. Be creative and have fun with it! 

    You can toss it all together before serving, or arrange everything in a serving bowl so it can be mixed at the table. The latter allows each person to adjust the amount of sauce to his or her liking.

    The sauce

    The sauce is gochujang based. I also add gochugaru for an extra kick. You can leave it if you like the noodles to be less spicy. For the sweetener, you can simply use sugar, or a combination of corn syrup (or oligo syrup) and sugar. The syrup gives a nice sheen to the dish, but you can simply use more sugar or honey if you want.

    Korean maesilcheong (plum syrup) works wonderfully in this sauce, if available. You can also add a small amount of apple juice, orange juice, or soft drink such as coke or sprite to make the sauce even better. 

    Watch how to make it

     

    More cold noodle dishes

    Kimchi bibim guksu
    Jaengban guksu (platter of cold noodles and vegetables)
    Jjolmyeon (spicy chewy noodles)
    Naengmyeon (cold chewy noodles)
    Kongguksu (chilled soy milk noodle soup)

    Bibim guksu new - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC9473 01 2 300x300 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

    Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

    4.63 from 29 votes
    Main
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces buckwheat noodles (memil guksu) or wheat flour noodles (somyeon/somen)
    • 1 small cucumber (about 3 ounces)
    • 1 small carrot (about 3 ounces)
    • 2 ounces red cabbage leaves
    • 2 ounces lettuce leaves
    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced kimchi
    • 1 boiled egg - optional
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil See note
    • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

    Sauce:

    • 3 tablespoons Korean chili pepper paste, gochujang
    • 1 tablespoon Korean chili pepper flakes, gochugaru
    • 1 teaspoon Korean/Asian hot mustard paste, gyeoja optional
    • 2 tablespoons sugar (or corn syrup/oligo syrup) adjust to taste
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar adjust to taste
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons soft drink (such as ginger ale, Sprite, etc.), apple juice, orange juice, or 1 tablespoon of Korean plum syrup (maesilcheong) optional

    Instructions

    • Mix all sauce ingredients and keep it cool in the fridge. The sauce can be prepared ahead of time, and it will keep well for up to 2 weeks.
      DSC9369 640x427 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)
    • Julienne the cucumber, carrot and red cabbage. Thinly slice the lettuce. Keep them cool in the fridge or in ice water (drain well before using) if you like.
      DSC9363 640x427 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)
    • Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain quickly and shock in cold water to stop cooking.
      DSC9409 640x427 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)
    • Drain and rinse in icy cold water until the noodles are very cold. Make two one-serving size mounds. Place the mounds in a colander to drain.
      DSC9415 640x427 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)
    • Place the noodles in the middle of the serving bowl and nicely arrange the cold vegetables over the noodles. Drizzle the sesame oil over, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and place a half of boiled egg on top. The sauce can be served on top or separately.
      DSC9477 640x427 - Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)
    • Alternatively, you can toss it all together before serving. Mix the noodles well with the sauce, add the sesame oil and vegetables, and toss well. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and place a half of boiled egg on top.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

    This recipe was originally posted in July 2010. I’ve updated it here with new photos and more information, and minor changes to the recipe. 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Radha says

      December 18, 2024 at 3:29 am

      5 stars
      I understand this is specially a cold noodle dish but is it okay to make it hot like a dish for lunch or dinner?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 18, 2024 at 7:46 pm

        This recipe is made for eating cold with fresh vegetables. If you want a warm noodle soup, try Janchi Guksu and add vegetables you like. You can add gochugaru to make it spicy too. https://www.koreanbapsang.com/janchi-guksu-somyeon/

        Reply
    2. char says

      May 27, 2024 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe. I’ve been experimenting with different veggies, different noodles, and proteins, and its always delicious. The sauce brings everything together perfectly.

      Although I must admit the sauce recipe is scarily similar to my Chamoy recipe (chamoy recipes will vary between latine households).

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 28, 2024 at 9:54 pm

        Awesome! Oh that’s interesting about the sauce.

        Reply
    3. Renata Jdanova says

      May 21, 2024 at 2:05 am

      5 stars
      안녕하세요 Hyosun 씨,
      Could you recommend a good recipe for marinating quail eggs as a side dish, please?

      Thank you for all the recipes! We love Korean cuisine.

      Reply
    4. Shannon says

      March 25, 2022 at 1:35 pm

      About how long will these stay good in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        March 25, 2022 at 5:14 pm

        The noodles get soggy pretty quickly, but you can prepare the sauce and everything else in advance ahead of time. The sauce will keep well for weeks.

        Reply
    5. Diane N says

      March 20, 2022 at 3:58 pm

      5 stars
      Love you recipes! I am searching for a recipe for Korean street noodles that uses a tahini, gochujang, soy sauce, honey mixture sauce ..Have you ever seen this and would you share the recipe?

      Reply
    6. Calator prin Romania says

      October 22, 2019 at 5:55 pm

      Greate pieces. Keep writing such kind of information on your site.

      Im really impressed by it.
      Hi there, You have performed an excellent job.

      I will certainly digg it and individually recommend to my friends.
      I am sure they’ll be benefited from this web site.
      – Calator prin Romania

      Reply
    7. Natalie says

      August 30, 2019 at 12:20 am

      How many does this serve?

      Reply
      • Foodie Friend says

        September 13, 2021 at 1:26 am

        It says 2 servings on the recipe card.

        Reply
    8. Olivia Zeh says

      April 25, 2016 at 7:24 pm

      Just made this today- came out great! Thanks for the awesome recipe

      Reply
    9. Lisa says

      February 15, 2016 at 12:56 pm

      Hello!
      I just discovered your site and I love it! Can you tell me if this dish is also called bibim naengmyon?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        February 15, 2016 at 4:18 pm

        Hi Lisa – I am so happy that you found me! No this doesn’t use naengmyeon noodle, which is a different type of noodles.

        Reply
    10. Moumita Malla says

      July 08, 2015 at 1:06 am

      Yuuuuuumy Korean Foods…being an Indian we will love to try them out.

      Reply
    11. GRACE says

      August 15, 2014 at 7:36 pm

      Thanks for another delicious recipe. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on how to make a more toddler-friendly spicy sauce?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 20, 2014 at 2:46 am

        Hi Grace – Omit chili pepper flakes, and reduce or omit chili pepper paste and hot mustard. You may need to add a bit more soy sauce if not using the chili pepper paste. Also, you can add some ketchup instead to give a little color and flavor. Let me know how your child likes it if you try.

        Reply
      • Amanda says

        May 13, 2023 at 9:32 pm

        5 stars
        Love this recipe! Perfect for the summer. Thank you so much!

        Reply
    12. Julien Kim says

      May 10, 2014 at 11:28 pm

      I am eating it right now, after eating it in a restaurant many years ago – SO GOOD, thank you!

      Reply
    13. Jeno @ Weeknite Meals says

      May 21, 2012 at 3:41 am

      Hi Hyosun, thank you for sharing this recipe, looks absolutely wonderful! We went to the Korean Super Market today (takes about 45 minutes from our neighborhood), it’s always worth the journey, as soon as we walk in, the smell of Korean food hits and our mouth waters the whole time while shopping!

      Reply
    14. Mary says

      March 18, 2012 at 2:03 pm

      This looks beautiful. This sounds like a wonderful recipe and I know my family will enjoy it. This is my first visit to your blog, but I will be back often. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary

      Reply
    15. Hyosun Ro says

      October 20, 2011 at 11:53 am

      Hi Fern – Thanks for taking the time to let me know that. I am happy to hear you liked it.

      Reply
    16. Fern@ToFoodwithLove says

      October 20, 2011 at 6:33 am

      Hi Hyosun,
      I just made this yesterday and it was very good! Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe! 🙂

      Reply
    17. Hyosun Ro says

      July 21, 2011 at 3:58 pm

      Thank you, Bliss Bunny, for trying my recipe and leaving the nice comments. I really appreciate it. A little bit of coke or sprite will be good. I know some people do that.

      Reply
    18. Bliss Bunny says

      July 18, 2011 at 6:05 am

      I made this recipe, your guksu sauce is amazing and the choice of vegetables is great. Very crispy and nice!! Next time, I’ll try to adding a little coca-cola or sprite. Fun!!! Thank you!

      Reply
    19. bunkycooks says

      July 19, 2010 at 12:24 pm

      This is one of my favorite dishes to order out. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
    20. Judy says

      July 12, 2010 at 11:30 pm

      Another fabulous summer dish, Hyosun! I love soba noodles and this looks very refreshing. It’s finally starting to warm-up where I live and I’d love to try this.

      Reply
    21. Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron says

      July 07, 2010 at 10:53 pm

      I love Korean food!! this looks so good! now i’m craving it again

      Reply
    22. denise @ quickies on the dinner table says

      July 07, 2010 at 2:22 pm

      Oh goodness! Every time I come here, I am reminded of how much and why I love Korean food so much! Another great recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
    23. roxan says

      July 06, 2010 at 4:09 pm

      Sigh… this looks so good. I keep telling myself I’m going to go to the Korean market to pick up some staples so I can make my own Korean food but I just never get around to it! But with summer around the corner (hopefully… it’s grey and drizzly here in LA) some bibim guksu or mool neng myun will be in order!

      Reply
    24. penny aka jeroxie says

      July 05, 2010 at 2:34 am

      will be keeping this for summer. Excellent!

      Reply
    25. Cook with Madin says

      July 05, 2010 at 2:37 am

      Buckwheat noodles is always my favorite. This looks lovely and refreshing.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Friday Foodie Faves June 13 Edition says:
      06/13/2014 at 4:04 pm

      […] Korean Spicy Cold Noodles {can be made Gluten-Free} […]

      Reply
    4.63 from 29 votes (24 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

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