Korean cold mixed noodles give a chilled bowl with springy strands, a hot and sour dressing coating every one, and crisp raw vegetables through it. On a hot day the whole thing takes twenty minutes. What goes wrong is claggy noodles, from overcooking or from a careless rinse.
The noodles are boiled with two splashes of cold water and then rinsed straight under the tap, which is what makes them springy and clean. The dressing goes on right before eating, since any earlier and the vegetables release water.
This batch weighs about 450g, at roughly 108 calories per 100g.
Method
Mix the dressing from 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 1 tablespoon Korean chili powder, 1 tablespoon Korean soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon lightly crushed roasted sesame seeds and 50ml clear carbonated soft drink, then adjust it to taste.
Wash 1/2 cucumber and 1/2 carrot, cut them into 5cm lengths and shred them finely. Slice 1/2 onion very thinly and soak it in cold water to take off the bite. Wash the lettuce, drain it and cut it into bite sized pieces.
Boil the somen: drop 1 handful of noodles into boiling water. When it foams up, pour in a splash of cold water, and when it foams up a second time, add another splash. Once it returns to the boil, drain the noodles immediately, rinse them under cold running water, wash them clean and drain them well.
Put the noodles in a large bowl, add the vegetables and the dressing, toss, and set half a boiled egg on top.
Tips
Somen is sold at Japanese and Korean grocers, and other thin noodles work as long as they are rinsed thoroughly in cold water for spring.
The clear carbonated soft drink is only there for a light sweetness, and water does the same job.
The kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so the dressing rests for 5 minutes and gets one more stir before it meets the noodles.
Rubbing the strands gently under cold running water washes off the starch and keeps them springy rather than sticky.
The dressing goes on right before eating, since sitting draws water from the vegetables and thins the bowl.
A bowl and chopsticks chilled for 10 minutes beforehand keep the dish cold for longer.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.