Kimchi stew but with noodles
I remember the first time I visited Seoul and had Kimchi jjigae (Kimchi stew) for the first time.
It was spicy, sour, savoury yet all flavours were perfectly well balanced.
For this instant noodle, I wanted to recreate my favourite kimchi stew but with noodles added.
This one packs a punch, so if you love flavourful food, this one is for you!
Kimchi
If you’ve got some old kimchi laying around your refrigerator, it’s perfect for this recipe.
Older kimchi works really well in kimchi stew, because the flavours are more developed and sour, and the fermentation adds another level of umami to the soup.
Tips for a good kimchi stew!
I’ve made kimchi stew so many times and only found out how to make it taste really good just a few years ago.
Here are my secrets for really flavourful, deep kimchi stew:
- Use older kimchi rather than really fresh kimchi. The fermentation adds more umami and sourness.
- Season the stew! There are actually a lot of sauces I’d recommend you to add, as this will add a lot more depth to the soup. I talk about the sauces below.
- If you eat meat, I’d recommend adding some fatty pork belly. The lard will help neutralise the sourness of the kimchi, and create the perfect balance of flavours!
The sauces are key!
Here are some sauces I’d highly recommend adding to the kimchi stew to make it REALLY flavourful:
- Gochujang: adds spice, umami an rich flavour
- Fish sauce: replicates that anchovy kelp broth that is used in kimchi jjigae, this is a quick way to add that flavour
- Light soy sauce: for savouriness and umami
- Kimchi juice: do not skip this one! added layer of acidity and pungent flavour!
Don't skip this step
If you want to add another layer of flavour to your kimchi stew, I’d highly recommend you not to skip this first step.
In a pot on low heat, add sesame oil, add kimchi and minced garlic. Pan fry for about 30-50 seconds on low heat – remember, we don’t want to burn the garlic, and sesame oil can smell funky when it interacts with high heat!
For some reason, sautéing the kimchi and garlic in sesame oil really brings out the flavours.
I’ve previously skipped this step before and let me just say that the kimchi stew didn’t taste the same.
Spicy Kimchi Instant Noodles
Ingredients
Method
- In a pan, cook the kimchi, minced garlic and zucchini in sesame oil over medium-low heat for 3 mins.
- Add the remaining kimchi soup base ingredients to the pan, stir well and cook for 3 more minutes. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the seasoning powder ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the bihoon noodles, kimchi soup base and seasoning powder. Pour over enough boiling water to cover. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes, or until the noodles are softened.
- Mix and enjoy!
