I couldn’t forget National Noodle Day! OK, well I almost did. I had about 45 minutes to quickly make a noodle dish and shoot it before I had to leave. Thank goodness for my friends who know how much I love noodles and are kind enough to text me and let me know what today is!
Jjolmyeon is a Korean dish of cold spicy noodles. The noodles are chewy, the sauce is tangy and spicy, and the vegetables are crunchy and refreshing. It is quick and easy to make, and is extra satisfying on a warm day.
The sauce for this recipe requires a few staple Korean ingredients that I always keep in my pantry. If you like Korean food, I suggest picking up these items as they are used time and time again in Korean cooking.
Korean Pantry Staples:
Gochujang: Korean Hot Pepper Paste
Gochugaru: Korean Hot Pepper Flakes or Powder
Jjolmyeon noodles can be found in your local Korean market in the refrigerator or frozen section. When you open up the package, make sure to separate all the strands before cooking, to prevent clumping.
The noodles cook fairly quickly, in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes. Another important step is to drain and rinse the noodles in cold running water to wash off the excess starch. This will ensure nice chewy noodles that don’t stick together.
Make a small bed of drained noodles in a bowl, pile on your veggies and top with an egg. Add the sauce, mix to combine and enjoy! Happy National Noodle Day!
- 1 packet of Jjolmyeon noodles (yields two servings)
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 2 carrots, julienned
- ½ head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts, blanched
- 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half length wise
- 3 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste)
- 1 tablespoon Gochugaru (Korean Hot Pepper Powder)
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add Jjolmyeon noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes. Watch the pot closely and lower the heat if needed if the pot gets close to boiling over. After noodles are done, drain in a colander and run cold water through the noodles for about 2 minutes, shaking the noodles to ensure good drainage and to make sure they don't stick. Set aside.
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl add all of the ingredients, set aside.
- In a serving bowl, add a bed of noodles. Arrange the raw veggies on top of the noodles, add the egg. Pour over the sauce, mix and enjoy.
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