Don't let the pandemic dampen your wanderlust, indulge in South Korea's tangy-spicy Bibim Guksu

The pandemic might have put a damper on your travel plans, but don't let it keep you from treating yourself to a variety of world cuisine.

South Korea's Bibim Guksu (spicy noodles) is a delicious cold salad dish seasoned with sweet and tangy flavourings that is perfect for this weather. One of the most popular traditional noodle dishes in Korean cuisine, it is the easy, quick and healthy recipe you need to beat the blues during the work week.

Pro tip: You can add more toppings. The preparation may look heavy, but it is light and filling on the stomach.


Ingredients:
Dried buckwheat noodles (or soba noodles): 180 gms

For salad:
Lettuce leaves (thinly sliced) - 2 or 40 gms
Red cabbage (thinly sliced) - 1/4 or 140 gms
Small cucumber (julienned) - 1/2 or 60 gms
Small carrot (julienned) - 1/3 or 40 gms
Kimchi, cut into thumbnail size - 2 tbsp
(optional) Red radish (julienned) - 60 gms
(optional) a few snow pea sprouts

For Bibim sauce:
Gochujang (Korean chili paste) - 2 tbsp (30ml)
Rice vinegar - 2 tbsp (30ml)
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp (15ml)
Honey - 1 tbsp (15ml)
Brown sugar - 1 tbsp (15ml)
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp (15ml)
Toasted sesame seeds - 1 tbsp (15ml)

Method:
- Boil the noodles in rolling boiling water and drain the noodles
- Run some cold water over the noodles to cool them down. Drain
- Place the noodles in a large serving bowl and mix all the salad ingredients with Korean sauce
- After all the ingredients are put in the bowl, serve.
- To eat, mix all ingredients well with chopsticks and indulge