ramyaramesh3007This super quick & easy Bibim Guksu is a cold noodle dish, coated in a sweet & spicy gochujang sauce with kimchi, cucumbers tossed in a jar.
I never thought I’ll think cucumbers are NOT boring….this actually SLAPS so hard! I love Bibim Guksu but having it in a jar just makes it easier to put together and for some reason, more delicious.
Bibim Guksu (비빔국수) is a popular Korean dish that includes cold noodles mixed in a sweet, spicy and tangy sauce! This dish is a staple during the hot summer months because it cold and refreshing.
Bibim Guksu is thought to have emerged as a variation of traditional bibimbap, a popular Korean dish that involves serving and mixing rice with various sautéed vegetables, protein and spicy gochujang. Guksu (국수) means “noodles” in Korean, and bibim (비빔) refers to “mixing” or “tossing.” Therefore, the dish literally translates to “mixed noodles.”
Traditionally, the sauce is poured over the noodles and kimchi, egg and cucumbers are added as garnish. In this recipe, we mix together the sauce, add noodles, slice cucumbers directly into the jar (thanks Logan!), add vegan kimchi and toasted sesame seeds. Once we give that a good shake, you can have these refreshing noodles anywhere, anytime!
Ingredients You Need
The dish usually consists of:
- thin wheat noodles – also known as somen or somyeon noodles. You can also use buckwheat noodles as a substitute.
- gochujang – korean red pepper paste, make sure to get a vegan version! Unfortunately gochujang is not gluten free.
- light soy sauce – you can also use gluten free soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.
- rice wine vinegar – mirin is a good substitute!
- toasted sesame oil – for aroma and flavour. I would definitely consider this as a pantry staple!
- sweetener of choice – agave and maple syrup are great refined sugar free options!
- garnish – sliced cucumbers, vegan kimchi and toasted sesame seeds
Gluten free substitutions: Use a gluten free chili paste and a gluten free soy sauce / tamari / coconut aminos.
Allium free substitutions: Use an allium free chili paste like sambal or chili oil instead of gochujang. You could also omit gochujang in this recipe. Use alliums free kimchi as well. FoodPeople is a good brand!
5-Minute Bibim Guksu
Equipment
- 1 Jar
Ingredients
- 1 serving thin wheat noodles
- ice
- 1 mini cucumber
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 3 tbsp vegan kimchi
- 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions, usually around 3 minutes for thin noodles.
- Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water to cool them down quickly. This step helps remove excess starch and makes the noodles firm and separate.
- Leave noodles in water and add a few ice cubes to let them cool down even more quickly. Drain the noodles well and set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, you can make the gochujang sauce: mix together gochujang, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and agave. Stir well until the sauce is smooth and all the ingredients are combined.
- Place the noodles inside the jar.
- Using a handheld slicer, carefully slice your cucumber directly into the jar. Add vegan kimchi and toasted sesame seeds.
- Close the lid and shake the jar until all the ingredients are well-combined and the noodles evenly coated in the sauce. Enjoy!