This sweet-sour-spicy cold Korean noodle dish is usually made with sweet potato noodles, but chewy Umi Organic ramen noodles are a serious upgrade. Korean cucumbers are ideal for this, but feel free to substitute Persian or English cucumber (a regular slicing cuke can also be used, but peel and seed it first). My sneaky trick for substantially expediting this meal is using a mandoline with a julienne blade!
Sauce
1 cup kimchi (with juice), finely chopped
1/2 cup gochujang (Korean chile paste, available at most Asian grocery stores)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 package (12 or 15 ounces) Umi Organic ramen noodles
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 8)
1 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced garlic chives or scallions
1 cup julienned cucumbers
1 cup julienned daikon radish
1 cup julienned Asian pear
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Directions
Place a big pot of water over high heat.
Prepare the sauce by stirring all the ingredients together until well-combined.
Once the water is at a rapid boil, place room temperature eggs in boiling water and set a timer for 6-1/2 minutes. As soon as the timer goes off, scoop the eggs from the water and place them in ice water. Keep your pot of water at a rapid boil.
Gently tease the noodles apart with your fingers. Boil the noodles in a pot of water for two minutes, then drain and rinse them well in cold water until they’re chilled.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms and carrots for about five minutes, stirring often, until they’re slightly softened.
Toss the cooked, chilled noodles with the mushrooms, carrots, garlic chives/scallions and the sauce, then divide them into four equal servings. Top each portion with 1/4 cup each of cucumber, daikon and pear, then nestle a half egg on each serving and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
