Pink Naengmyeon with Homemade Beef Broth

Naengmyeon (냉면) or Korean cold noodle soup is one of my favorite dishes of all time. The savory beef broth combined with the punchy brine of Korean water radish kimchi or dongchimi (동치미) is pretty unbeatable, especially touched up with the classic side condiments of hot mustard and vinegar.

Naengmyeon is traditionally eaten in the wintertime because back in the day (before Korea took over the global stage with pop music and viral TikTok food trends), it was a developing country that relied on the natural climate to inform what eating habits and which dishes were in-season. So in the dead of winter after the fall radishes were harvested at their peak to make dongchimi, Koreans would battle the cold with the cold: eating icy chilled noodles while outside, temperatures were below freezing! It also mattered that back then, most families did not own freezers so the broth would achieve that desired slushy state by sitting outside for a few hours.

Whether enjoyed in the wintertime as they did back then or in the dead of summer as I like to today, this dish is delicious, refreshing, and nutritious with the buckwheat noodles and homemade beef broth. And of course, my recipe for hot pink dongchimi made with beetroot is visually stunning and amazingly delicious as well!

Have you ever tried naengmyeon before? It’s actually not that hard to make at home. And when a good naengmyeon restaurant is hard to come by, it’s best to take matters into your own hands and make it from scratch!

Pink Naengmyeon with Homemade Beef Broth (4 servings)

• 2 lb of flank or other lean beef cut
• 2 scallions
• 1 yellow onion
• Peppercorns
• Salt
• 2 TBSP soup soy sauce
• Cucumbers
• Eggs
• Dongchimi radish slices and juice (see recipe)
• Naengmyeon buckwheat noodles
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• Pine nuts (optional)

Make the broth & prep the beef. In a large stock pot, bring 10-12 cups of water to a boil with the flank, quartered onion, scallions sliced, and big pinch of whole peppercorns. Reduce to a rolling simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, skimming scum off the top. Remove beef from broth and let slightly cool before storing in a sealed container until it’s time to eat. Meanwhile, let broth cool and strain. Season with salt and dash of soup soy sauce. Pour into freezer safe container and freeze for several hours.

Prepare toppings and broth. Slice cucumbers, season with salt and set aside. Hard boil eggs, peel and set aside. Slice beef into long strips and set aside. Cut dongchimi radish into strips and set aside. It’s important to have all the toppings ready to go because as soon as the noodles are done, they’re best eaten quickly thereafter.

Assemble. Remove beef broth from freezer after several hours so that it’s half frozen, almost a slushy-like consistency. Combine 2-3 ladles of dongchimi juice with icy beef broth until it tastes nice and punchy. Cook naengmyeon noodles according to package, strain, and wash well in cold water to keep the noodles chewy. Plate the noodles, add the toppings, add the icy broth, and top with crushed sesame seeds and pine nuts. Taste to your liking with extra white vinegar and/or asian mustard (wasabi will work in a pinch) on the side. Enjoy!