Bibimguksu with Peach

Growing up, I remember the hot days of summer full of library trips, riding bikes outside with my brother…and eating lots of bibimguksu! Bibimguksu or “mixed noodles” is such a classic summertime dish when it’s hot and humid outside because there’s minimal cooking involved aka summer cooking at its best.

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s similar to bibimbap or “mixed rice” (which is a very popular dish that many of you love!) because the basic components of the dishes are the same: the carb, a spicy sweet sauce, and the vegetables. But bibimguksu diverges from its rice counterpart by being ultra low maintenance, coming together in just minutes! Whereas with bibimbap, you must stir fry each of the individual vegetables to get them cooked just right, bibimguksu is best enjoyed with the summer season’s best raw vegetables that just need a good rinse and chop.

Another great aspect of this dish is that you can riff to your heart’s delight. Cucumber, lettuce, and cabbage are the classic options, but in this season when the farmers market is blowing up with all kinds of crunchy snap peas, rainbow carrots, and heirloom tomatoes, feel free to riff on this recipe with whatever vegetables look good wherever you are.

Summertime also means stone fruit are coming into season. Firm and juicy cherries and plums, fragrant nectarines and peaches…catching a whiff of heady ripe stone fruit is truly one of my favorite things about summer. Naturally, I added a couple slices of peach to my bibimguksu for a refreshing bite of something juicy sweet and a little tart for what’s otherwise a pleasantly spicy, quick, and delicious dish!

Bibimguksu with Stone Fruit (2 servings)

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1/4 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
• Good splash of kimchi juice (about 2 TBSP)
• 2 TBSP rice vinegar
• 2 TBSP sesame oil
• Big scoop of gochujang (about 3 TBSP)
• 1 TBSP white sugar (more to taste if desired)
• Approximately 4 cups of various chopped raw vegetables such as:
  • Greens (tender lettuce, massaged kale, etc.)
  • Cucumber
  • Bell pepper
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Red or green cabbage
  • Snap peas
  • Carrot
  • Beets
• 2 bundles somyeon, Korean thin wheat noodles (buckwheat noodles would also work)
• Ripe and fragrant stone fruit like peach or cherries for garnish
• Salted seaweed, cut into strips or crumbled for garnish
• Crushed sesame seeds for garnish

Make the gochujang kimchi sauce. Combine the garlic, scallion, kimchi, kimchi juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, gochujang, and sugar. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Prep vegetables. Cut raw vegetables into medium to large chunks as if preparing a salad. Cut carrots, beets, and cucumber julienne or in diagonal slices. Halve cherry tomatoes. Slice bell peppers and snap peas. Avoid cutting vegetables too small.

Cook noodles and assemble. Cook wheat noodles according to package, 2-3 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain to ensure noodles are chewy. Mix noodles and vegetables into gochujang kimchi sauce. Top with sesame seeds, salty seaweed, and sliced peaches. Enjoy immediately.