bibim soba noodles
it's getting unbelievably hot in new york again. when it gets this hot, all i want to do is douse my innards with anything and all things cold. i'll never be able to understand people who can drink hot coffee or soup on a hot day and call it shi-wun-hae (translation: refreshing). koreans actually do this. they have a ritual of enjoying a spicy hot soup on a hot day, sweat extra from it, and call that refreshing. i call it torture.
bibim guksu (my best translation: noodles that are tossed and mixed together) is a better example of koreans knowing how to do summer right. it's one of those dishes that your body craves because you know it's perfect for when it's unbearably hot - and bonus points, it's chock-full of vegetables so even more perfect for someone who has been snacking on desserts all summer (me).
this version is as authentic as korean-american gets. it has cilantro because i like to throw cilantro in just about anything, and tahini mixed into the gochujang dressing because a creamier and nuttier dressing is far more delightful than one that is not, amirite?
the goal is to present all your fixings on a platter because it makes for a nice rainbow gram, toss freely (bib-yuh, which is the verb of bibim), and enjoy as much as you'd like because all this bibim soba is, is a big ol' pile of guilt-free noodle salad.
xo, christine
bibim soba noodles
ingredients
2 eggs + 1/2 cup milk
1 pound ground beef + 1 tsp kosher salt + 1 tsp pepper
1 bundle soba noodles
vegetables
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup perilla leaves, chopped
1/2 cup daikon sprouts
1/2 small head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot peeled and julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
dressing
1 tbs gochujang
1 tbs sesame oil
1/2 tbs tahini
1/2 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tbs sesame seeds
1/2 tbs cane sugar
1/2 tbs water for thinning
notes
1. vegetable prep: prepare vegetables in advance so that they have extra time to chill in the fridge while you prep everything else. pretty straight forward: wash, chop, and set all vegetables on a platter. place in fridge to chill.
2. egg prep: whisk together eggs and milk in a small bowl. heat lightly greased pan on medium heart for 1 minute, pour on a thin layer of egg on pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes. gently flip and cook for another 2 minutes. transfer to a cutting board. once cooled, fold in half, slice into ribbons, and set aside with vegetables in fridge
3. noodle prep: bring pot of water to boil, place soba noodles in pot, and boil for 6-7 minutes or until noodle is at a texture you like. strain and rinse under cold water until all the heat has been removed from noodles. set aside in a bowl.
ground beef prep: sprinkle salt and pepper over ground beef, let it sit for 10 minutes. on a greased skillet on medium-high heat, toss in ground beef and cook for 7-8 minutes until browned. set aside.
dressing: whisk together gochujang, tahini, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. slowly mix in water to thin dressing out. toss in sesame seeds to dressing.
dress the noodles: take soba noodles and 3/4 of dressing and bib-yuh (mix thoroughly) with your hands or whatever tool you think is best to coat your noodles.
plating: remove vegetables from fridge, add ground beef to platter, and place dressed noodles in the center. (this is where you bust out your phone for the gram)
mix and enjoy: add remainder of dressing and bib-yuh everything more time!
