Korean Kimchi Bibim Guksu. Chewy cold noodles in a spicy, tangy and sweet sauce with egg and refreshing cucumbers! An easy delicious meal that is ready in 10 minutes made with simple ingredients!
Jump to:
What is Bibim Guksu?
Bibim Guksu is a chilled, spicy Korean noodle dish that features chewy somyeon noodles mixed with a nutty tasting kimchi gochujang sauce. Then topped off with fresh cucumbers and a boiled egg.
These popular noodles come from Korea and in Korean, "Bibim" means "mixed" and "guksu" means "noodles". Koreans usually enjoy this simple dish during the hot summer months to cool the body down.
This easy noodle dish is perfect for hot weather especially when I have little energy to cook or I'm not sure what to eat!
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Somyeon noodles: these are extra thin round Korean wheat noodles
- Cucumber
- Egg
Bibim Guksu Sauce
- Well-fermented Kimchi
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar: or white vinegar
- Gochujang paste: aka Korean red pepper paste
- White granulated sugar: or substitute with honey
- Garlic
- Sesame seeds
Note: Most Korean grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Finely chop the kimchi so it better integrates with the sauce.
- A runny egg is recommended as the runny yolk mixes into the sauce and noodles creating an amazing texture.
- Don't over cook the noodles! It's so important to avoid over boiling the noodles past the 3 minute mark. Even 4 minutes for these super thin noodles is stretching it. They must be chewy to be enjoyed. I always like to do a taste test at the 2 minute mark.
- Rinse and rub the noodles with cold water to remove excess starch. The cold water also preserves the chewiness of the noodles.
- The best way to mix the noodles with the sauce is with clean or gloved hands.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make bibim guksu:
Prepare Sauce & Boil Egg
In a mixing bowl, add your kimchi and begin cutting into smaller pieces with clean kitchen scissors. Next add all Sauce ingredients (as listed above) and mix well.
Bring a small pot of water to boil. Lower the egg into the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes over high heat, uncovered. Set a timer. If you like your eggs hardboiled, boil for 10 minutes.
Chill and Peel Egg
Then submerge cooked egg into an ice bath until cooled down.
Crack and peel egg. Slice it into half and set aside.
Boil and Rinse Noodles
Meanwhile, in a medium large pot filled halfway with water, bring it to boil. Add noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes until chewy. *Make sure to taste for desired consistency.
Strain the noodles and rinse them under cold water until noodles are cold. Rub the noodles to remove excess starch. Then give them a shake in the strainer to remove any excess water.
Mix Noodles with Sauce & Add Toppings
Add strained noodles to your sauce and mix well with clean hands.
Transfer noodles to serving bowl and top off with sliced cucumbers and egg. Enjoy!
Storage
- These noodles are best consumed the same day or the noodles will go soggy. However you may store the noodles and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge. There's no need to reheat since these noodles are consumed chilled.
- Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing bibim guksu as it'll change the texture of the noodles.
Pairing Suggestions
Bibim guksu serves well with other Korean side dishes like Korean cucumber salad, beansprout salad, zucchini fritters, gamja jorim, or Korean spinach.
FAQ
Korean Wheat Noodles or "Somyeon" in Korean can be found at any Korean or select Asian grocers. Look for the ones that are very thin and round. 
Yes, please click here for my Soy Sauce Bibim Guksu aka Ganjang Bibim Guksu.
Other recipes you may like
📖 Recipe
Easy 10-min. Bibim Guksu
Ingredients
- 3.52 oz Korean wheat noodles (aka Somyeon) extra thin round kind
- ¼ cup cucumber sliced into matchsticks
- 1 egg
Sauce:
- ¼ cup kimchi (well fermented kind)
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar or sub with honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add your kimchi and begin cutting into smaller pieces with clean kitchen scissors. Next add all Sauce ingredients as listed above and mix well.
- Bring a small pot of water to boil. Lower the egg into the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes over high heat, uncovered. Set a timer. If you like your eggs hardboiled, boil for 10 minutes. Then submerge the cooked egg into an ice bath. Crack and peel egg. Slice it into half and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium large pot filled half way with water, bring it to boil. Add noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes until chewy. *Make sure to taste for desired consistency. Strain the noodles and rinse them under cold water until noodles are cold. Then give them a shake in the strainer to remove any excess water.
- Add strained noodles to your sauce and mix well with clean hands. Transfer to serving bowl. Top off with sliced cucumbers and egg. Enjoy!
sai
what will it taste like if i dont add kimchi? will it be bad
christieathome
It won't be as flavourful so if you're going to omit kimchi, I would actually recommend this recipe instead: https://christieathome.com/blog/ganjang-bibim-guksu/
Rebecca Dillon
What a delicious dinner idea! I love how easy it is to make.
Rashmi
This looks super yummy..... thanks for sharing the recipe dear.. 🙂
http://www.beautyandfashionfreaks.com
christieathome
Thanks so much for reading and your kind comment!
Sherri
Love how fast this meal comes together and that it can be customized to be vegan too! A perfect dinner for the whole family!
Josiah - DIY Thrill
These noodles look amazing!
Marisa
This is the best Bibim Guksu recipe, I have tried others. By far this one is the absolute best! Christie thank you for the recipes ☺️.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my Bibim Guksu recipe, Marisa! So happy it was the best one you've tried and happy I could share it. Have a wonderful day!
LetsCurry
Christie, cold noodles and chewy with soya sauce sounds interesting. Will have to try it to experience the distinctive taste. Thanks for an amazing recipe again.
Bob
This was super easy to make and I made it twice because it was so good!
Rosemary Squires
Bim bim hehe!! I just love how fun these recipes sound. I'm definitely going to give a noodle recipe a try next week with some marinated beef!