I’ve been craving this Korean noodle dish for the longest time and now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s perfect for lunch! This recipe for bibim gook su is a bit different from others that you will find online because it uses fruit in the sauce. Don’t worry, the outcome is just as good if not better than the traditional recipe!

Serves 4

950

Bibim gook soo

45 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Sauce
• 7 3/4 oz Fuji apples, chopped with skin, core removed
• 5 oz canned pineapple chunks in pineapple juice
• 2 1/2 oz fresno, chopped with seeds, destemmed
• 2 oz red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp sake
• 1/2 cup Korean coarse red pepper powder aka gochugaru
• 1/2 cup rice syrup
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup Korean red pepper paste aka gochujang
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 tbsp salt
• 1/2 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup sprite
Noodles
• 14 oz somen noodles
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
• 1/2 Asian pear, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
• sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the sauce for the noodles by blending together the apples, pineapple chunks with the juices, fresno, and red bell pepper. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and add the brown sugar, sake, gochugari, rice syrup, rice vinegar, gochujang, soy sauce, salt and sesame oil, whisking until combined. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to three days.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the somen noodles and cook according to the package directions. Rinse in cold water and drain.
3. Right before serving, add the sprite to the sauce and mix. Pour half of the sauce over the noodles and mix well until the noodles are fully coated. Add more sauce if needed, reserving any remaining for next time. Portion the noodles into four bowls. Top with 1/2 a boiled egg each, julienned cucumber, pear slices, 1/4 cup kimchi and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

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https://www.cherryonmysundae.com/2013/04/korean-bibim-gook-soo.html

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

The great thing about this sauce is that it can be made days before so that when you’re ready to eat, all you do is cook the noodles. You need it to sit for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors have time to meld together.

After you blend the fruit items, the color doesn’t look so pleasing (picture below) but not to worry! Once you add the red pepper paste and red pepper powder, the red color will shine through!

If you have trouble finding the items, your best bet is to visit an Asian market. If you must, you can substitute corn syrup for the rice syrup; but rice syrup is healthier and has more complex sugars than corn syrup does. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for the Korean red pepper paste (gochujang); it’s a combination of sweet and spicy, unlike other red pepper pastes.
You have a little bit of freedom when choosing your toppings for the noodles, but Asian pear, cucumber, and hard-boiled egg are the more common ones seen. I have had some versions that had chopped romaine on top, sliced daikon radish, pea sprouts, and sliced beef.
Somen noodles are very thin so they cook very quickly, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure not to overcook your noodles or they will turn gummy.
Mix the noodles with the sauce, top with your garnishes and you are ready to eat! I love the flavors of this sauce as opposed to others that use kimchi and kimchi juices as the base. You just don’t get the same spicy and sweet quality you do from this sauce as you from a kimchi-based sauce. Sure it can be a little more work, but it’s definitely worth that extra step.Typically bibim gook soo is served with a platter of Korean bbq. Now that is one delicious looking dinner!

Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.