Mul Naengmyeon (Korean Cold Noodle Soup with Icy Broth)

A refreshing Korean cold noodle soup with chewy buckwheat noodles, sliced beef, and a clean, icy broth. This simple stovetop method creates a light yet flavorful bowl, finished with a signature slushy texture.

Course Lunch, Main Course, Noodles

Cuisine Korean

Keyword buckwheat noodles, cold noodles, korean cold noodle soup, korean noodles, Korean noodles with black bean sauce, mul naengmyeon, summer korean dishes

Cook Time 30

chilling time 4

Servings servings

Calories 420

Author Hyegyoung K. Ford

Ingredients

10½ oz (300 g) beef brisket
4 cups (960 ml) water
4 tbsp (28 g) korean beef base granules (sogogi dashida)
14 oz (400 g) dried naengmyeon noodles (Korean buckwheat noodles)
2 cups (480 ml) dogchimi brine see note for substitution
3 tbsp (38 g) sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) vinegar plus more to taste
yellow mustard to taste

Toppings

dongchimi radish kimchi thinly sliced, optional
Korean pear thinly sliced
cucumber sliced into matchsticks
2 hard boiled sliced in half
toasted sesame seeds optional

Instructions

Make the broth: In a pot, bring water to a gentle simmer and stir in the Korean beef base granules. Add the beef and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Turn off the heat, and let the beef poach in the hot broth for 30 minutes. Remove the beef, let it cool, then slice thinly against the grain.
Season and chill: Stir dongchimi brine, sugar, and vinegar into the broth. Taste and adjust lightly if needed. Chill the broth in the refrigerator until very cold.
Make the broth slush: Pour a small portion of the chilled broth into a zip-top bag or shallow container and freeze for 1 to 2 hours, until partially frozen. Break it into small ice crystals with a mallet.
Cook the noodles: cook the naengmyeon noodles according to package directions. When the water foams up, add a splash of cold water to control the boil. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, rubbing gently to remove excess starch.
Assemble: Place the chilled noodles in serving bowls. Pour over the cold broth and add a few spoonfuls of broth slush if using. Top with beef, radish, cucumber, pear, and egg.
Serve: Serve immediately with vinegar and mustard on the side for seasoning to taste. Enjoy with a side of kimchi.

Video

Notes

If you don’t have dongchimi brine, you can keep the broth fresh and balanced by using one of these options:

Light radish water: Soak thinly sliced Korean radish in cold salted water for 1–2 hours, then add a small splash of vinegar
Pickled radish liquid: Use Korean pickled radish (chicken radish) brine, slightly diluted
Simple substitute: Add a little extra vinegar with a pinch of sugar

Nutrition