Cold noodle soup (Mul-naengmyeon: 물냉면)

Mul-naengmyeon is a traditional Korean cold noodle soup that offers a refreshing culinary experience. This dish combines chewy buckwheat noodles with a tangy, icy broth, garnished with fresh cucumber, Korean pear, and a perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg. Whether it's a hot summer day or you're simply craving something light and revitalizing, this dish will delight your palate.

Ingredients

🍜 10 ounces Korean Style Noodle with Buckwheat, Wang Korea
🥫 2 packages Mul Naengmyeon Soup Base, 50g each, Choung Soo, 청수 물냉면 육수
🥒 1/2 cucumber, cut into 4-inch strips, seeds removed
🍬 1/2 teaspoon sugar for cucumber brine
🧂 1/2 teaspoon salt for cucumber brine
🍎 1 tablespoon white or apple vinegar for cucumber brine
🍐 1 Korean pear, grated for juice and sliced for garnish
💧 4 cups cold water, 2 cups per soup base package
🥚 1 hard-boiled egg, cut in half
🌱 A few drops mustard oil, from the Mul Naengmyeon Soup Base package
🌾 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed, optional for garnish
🍅 1 cherry tomato, optional for garnish

Instructions

1- Prepare the Cucumbers:

Cut a cucumber into 4-inch long pieces and slice thinly. Remove the seedy core.
In a small bowl, mix cucumber strips with 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Set aside to pickle while preparing other ingredients.

2- Prepare the Korean Pear:

Peel and grate one Korean pear.
Prepare a bowl of sugar water using 1 teaspoon sugar mixed with a small amount of water to soak pear slices, preventing browning.
Place grated pear in a cotton pouch or cloth and squeeze out the juice into a small bowl.
Slice the remaining pear for garnish and soak in sugar water.

3- Chill the Broth:

Using kitchen shears, open the two packages of Mul Naengmyeon Soup Base and pour contents into a large metal bowl.
Add 4 cups of ice-cold water and the pear juice. Stir well.
Freeze mixture for 5–6 hours until it reaches a slushy consistency.

4- Cook the Buckwheat Noodles:

Boil a large pot of water using an aluminum cooking pot.
Add the noodles and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Aim for a chewy texture.
Drain noodles in a metal colander under cold water, rubbing to remove starch.
Final rinse with ice water to thoroughly chill.

5- Assemble the Dish:

Drain and squeeze excess water from the noodles, then divide into two large, pre-cooled shallow bowls.
Pour the frozen slushy broth over the noodles in each bowl.
Garnish with cucumber slices, pear slices, and a half-boiled egg.
Finish with mustard oil drops and optionally sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and add a cherry tomato for color.

Prep Time: Approx. 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3–5 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 6 hours and 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Equipment: Chef's knife, wooden cutting board, small metal bowl, measuring spoon set, aluminum pot, tongs, metal colander, large metal mixing bowl, scissors, wooden spoon, large shallow ceramic bowls, chopsticks, mortar and pestle.