🥢 Mul Naengmyeon – Korean Cold Buckwheat Noodle Soup

Mul Naengmyeon (물냉면) is an iconic chilled soup in Korean cuisine, much loved during the summer. Originally from Pyongyang, this dish combines long, elastic buckwheat noodles with a refreshing, slightly tangy and salty broth.

This dish stands out for its freshness and balance, combining the crisp sweetness of pear, the firm texture of cold beef, and the richness of a hard-boiled egg. It is often served with a vinegary seasoning enhanced with mustard. Light yet nourishing, it fits perfectly into a balanced summer meal.

Here, I didn't make the recipe with beef because I didn't have time to cook it, but I've detailed the recipe to include beef. Incidentally, the broth, pear, cucumber, and egg are more than enough in summer!

Serves 2

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 50 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

Boiled beef

• 200g beef chuck (paleron)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 slice ginger
• 500ml water

Cold broth

• 300ml filtered cooking broth or ready-made Dasida broth
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• Ice cubes or crushed ice

Noodles and garnishes

• 250g Korean naengmyeon noodles.
• 1/2 Asian pear (or a ripe classic pear), peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• A few slices of cucumber (optional)

Seasoning

• Korean strong mustard
• Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar

Preparation

1. Cook the beef: Place the beef chuck in a saucepan with water, onion, and, if desired, a slice of ginger. Bring to a boil, skim if necessary, then simmer over low heat for 45 to 50 minutes. Once the meat is cooked, remove it and let it cool. Strain the broth and reserve 300 ml.
2. Prepare the cold broth: Mix the filtered broth (or ready-made broth) with rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. Let it cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Add ice cubes just before serving.
   
3. Cook the noodles: Boil a large quantity of water. Cook the noodles according to package instructions (3 to 5 minutes). Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water, then plunge into a bowl of ice water.
   

   * these noodles become very sticky when cooked, so make sure to cook them in enough water.

4. Prepare the garnishes: Cut the hard-boiled egg in half. Slice the pear and cucumber into julienne strips.
   
   Once the meat has cooled, slice it thinly against the grain.
5. Assemble: Distribute ice cubes into two bowls. Add the drained noodles, beef slices, pear, and egg. Pour in the well-chilled broth.
   
6. Serve: Offer a small bowl with a mixture of vinegar and mustard so everyone can season to their preference.
   

Serving suggestions

• Serve with kimchi, pickled yellow radish, or seasoned spinach sprouts.
• Use a deep bowl and serve very cold, with a spoon and chopsticks.
• The texture of Naengmyeon, quite firm and chewy, might be surprising, so feel free to vary it with soba-type noodles.
• For a vegetarian version, replace beef with grilled tofu and use a white radish broth.