Mul Naengmyeon (Korean Cold Noodle Soup) - including bonus IP recipe (2024)

Mul Naengmyeon (Korean Cold Noodle Soup) is the BEST summer food – light chewy noodles in an icy cold broth that cools you down like no other. I share 2 versions: our family’s true Northern style Pyeongyang Naengmyeon and the more common Southern style which is sweeter and tangier.

Mul Naengmyeon is a Korean cold noodle soup that’s usually served icy cold (almost as a slushy) in the summer in Korea. But did you know that originally it was eaten in the winter time in North Korea (where my parents are originally from)?? Mul Naengmyeon has a special place in my heart because it was something our whole family loved and had quite often.

It was always our regular Sunday lunch menu after we came home from church. And my mom loves it sooo much that she always says she has a separate (extra) stomach for it.. HAHAHA… and so she can eat double her usual amount when it comes to having Mul Naengmyeon!! 😲😲

My Dad always loved a true Northern style Naengmyeon very much too… 😍So.. as you can imagine, I grew up eating many variations of Naengmyeon in our home, at my grandparent’s homes, at our aunts’ homes, at different restaurants.. you name it, I’ve had it all.

So, I guess you could say I’m sort of a snob when it comes to this Korean cold noodle soup dish. And somehow it seems many restaurants just can’t seem to get it done properly. There’s a restaurant in our area that is sort of famous for their naengmyeon (WHY it’s famous, I will NEVER know..) and people stand in a loong line to eat it.

I went their two times (just to make sure I give them enough opportunities) and the second time it was soo bad, I could not finish the bowl. It was just really SOooo sweet and had no other flavor than sour and sweet…

I so wanted to yell at the people eating it – “NOoooo!! this is NOT how Naengmyeon is supposed to taste!!” 😩 Well..that’s why most of the time, I will just not bother to order this dish at restaurants unless I KNOW they specialize in it – like Wooraeok (in Seoul and in US). But I think this recipe will make both my mom and dad proud…🤩😋

About Mul Naengmyeon

Mul Naengmyeon 물냉면 when translated word for word, it’s ‘water cold noodles’ (mul = 물 = water, naeng = 냉 = cold, myeon = 면 = noodles). It refers toALL Naengmyeon that is served with cold soup but if you were to order Mul Naengmyeon at any restaurant in South Korea the soup will most likely be served in South Korean style which is sweet and tangy.

UNLESS the restaurant specifically says they specialize in Northern style 이북식 (yibuksik) Pyeongyang Naengmyeon, then the broth will be not at all sweet or sour.

History dates it back to the 17th century Joseon Dynasty to the Northern part of Korea. Noodles were made from 100% buckwheat (maemil 메밀) mostly back then and since these noodles lacked gluten, they were too brittle in a warm broth. But when they tried it in a cold soup and it worked!!

Now, what?? They didn’t have regular flour noodles back then?
No.. wheat is not a native crop of Korea and wheat flour was imported into Korea from China so only the very rich and royals were able to eat flour few hundred years ago. Flour was imported in much larger quantities after the Korean war and now Koreans eat noodles and bread more than rice!

Anyway, during this time, noodles were made either from rice or buckwheat but in the Northern part of Korea, it was hard to grow rice (weather wasn’t good for growing rice) so buckwheat was much more prevalent.

Around late fall, which is the time of buckwheat harvest, North Koreans also made Dongchimi (Winter Radish water kmichi) and so it was often added to the cold noodle soup. This is how the famous Pyongyang Naengmyeon came about. Hence the name Dongchimi Naengmyeon was used to emphasize the addition of Dongchimi juice.

Different styles of Mul Naengmyeon

• Pyongyang Naengmyeon평양냉면 – originally from the region of Pyongyang (capital of North Korea), they are most famous for their clean and refreshing beef broth mul naengmyeon. Traditionally Dongchimi (radish water kimchi) juice is added. The soup has a clean, mild beef flavor without being sweet or sour.
• Yeolmu Naenmgyeon 열무냉면 – is a variation (I believe created later in South) where Yeolmu Kimchi (young radish water kimchi) is added to the soup along with the greens. This dish is quite spicy, sweet and tangy.
• Dongchimi Naengmyeon 동치미냉면 – is basically Pyongyang Naengmyeon with extra Dongchimi juice added.

I share 2 versions (Northern and Southern style) below. Everyone’s preference is different so try making both of my broth recipes and see which style you like. The Pyongyang style may not grab your palate right away but you will learn to enjoy its simple, clean and refreshing flavor.

Tips for Perfect Mul Naengmyeon

• Beef shank works best because it has very little fat. And the boiled beef shank meat (suyuk 수육) tastes great cold or warm because it has very little fat. But if you don’t like the chewy part of the shank, you can use a lean brisket instead.
• Keep your soup/broth chilled. If you don’t have time to chill the broth in the fridge then serve with some ice cubes. My seasoning is done a bit aggressively in my recipe to account for the ice and wet noodles diluting the soup. But don’t add more than 3-4 ice cubes per bowl.
• Don’t overcook the noodles. Always use a timer and follow package directions. And always stir right away after you add the noodles so they don’t clump together.
• Rinse your noodles in ice cold water 2-3 times. This will keep the noodles chewy and also from sticking to each other.
• Don’t let the noodles sit too long. Also, once refrigerated, it just won’t be the same so best not to have leftover noodles.
• Make beef broth ahead of time, even up to 2-3 days before and keep in the fridge.
• Always serve vinegar and yellow mustard and let your guests season to taste.
• For ICY slushy like noodle soup, freeze broth for few hours until it becomes a slushy or freeze overnight and defrost in the fridge until ready to use. You can also break up and scrape it with a fork if needed.

Step-by-Step Directions

How to make BEEF BROTH and SUYUK

1. Prepare meat – if using beef shank, cut it in 1/2 to shorten the cooking time. Beef shank from the Korean market comes like this.

   

   You can trim off the sinew a bit but don’t have to.

   

2. Make Beef Broth: In a pot add beef shank, whole small onion, garlic cloves, ginger and water. (See Recipe Card for exact amounts for each method below).
   • Stove Top – first bring to boil then simmer (medium low) for about 2 hrs 30 to 40 min until fork goes in easily.
   • Instant Pot – cook 35 min, manual HIGH pressure and Natural Release for 15 min or more and then Quick Release to open.
3. Once beef is cooked from 1, cool for 10 min and take out beef from the broth. Let meat cool on a cutting board for a few minutes until they get cool enough to handle. Keep beef covered while it’s cooling so beef doesn’t dry up.

   

4. Strain beef broth through a fine strainer or cheesecloth into a bowl or container.

   

5. Chill beef broth in the fridge. For quicker result, make an ice bath in a sink or in a large bowl and cool broth by cooling the container (containing the broth) in the ice bath. FYI – For 1.5 lb shank, you should get about 1 quart of broth.
6. Slice beef thinly against the muscle/grain. See how yummy it looks!! I love the chewy sinew in between the meat. ❤️❤️Serve at room temperature or cold from the fridge with some vinegar soy sauce.

   

7. Remove the solidified fat bits from beef broth after it’s chilled. Just absorb it with a paper towel or use a fat-absorbing paper. Because shank has little fat, the amount of fat will be minimal.
8. Season cold broth from 7 with Guk Ganjang (Soup Soy Sauce), sea salt and couple Tbs each of the pickling liquid from 2 and 3. Refrigerate until serving time.

   

How to make Toppings for Mul Naengmyeon

1. While you wait for the beef to cook, Pickle Cucumbers –

   

   1. Cut cucumbers either at an angle or into rectangles (whatever you feel like).
   2. In a bowl, add cucumbers, vinegar, salt, sugar and mix well. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes until cucumbers are well pickled and it looks limp like you see in the picture.
   3. For EXTRA CRUNCHY (optional) – Once fully pickled, you can put the cucumbers in a fine cheesecloth or cotton cloth and wring out excess liquid. Do NOT discard the liquid. You get extra crunchy cucumber toppings this way.
   4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Pickle Radish –

   

   1. Cut about a 1-inch thick disc from radish, peel and then cut vertically so you will end up with thin strips.
   2. In a bowl, add cut radish, vinegar, salt, sugar and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Plan to use the liquid that accumulates into seasoning the broth.
3. Cook Hard Boiled Eggs – there are many methods but I find this method works well for me. Peel and cut egg in half. Set aside.
4. Make yellow mustard – about 2 tsp powder to 3 tsp water will work. You can also just use a ready-made tube (but not as flavorful). I use the S&B Mustard Powder.

   

5. Cut Asian pear into thin slices. (OPTIONAL).

   

How to cook Chewy ‘al dente’ Naengmyeon Noodles

1. To a pot of boiling water, add your noodles and cook according to package directions but I normally cook shorter time than package directions to make extra chewy al dente noodles. KEEP STIRRING while cooking and also always good to taste noodles if they are done.

   

   Read more about Dry Naengmyeon Noodles ingredient.

   

   • For Dry Noodles (left – Wheat+Buckwheat noodles), usually, cook for 3-4 minutes but I end up doing more around 3 min.
   • For Wet Noodles (right -100% Buckwheat GF Noodles), usually, cook for 30-40 seconds. Before adding noodles into pot, make sure you separate noodles by rubbing with your hands to prevent clumping.
   • Have an ice bath ready and transfer cooked noodles into the ice bath. Rinse noodles by rubbing them with your hands. Repeat 3 times. Make individual noodle portion by swirling and bunching them up with your hands. Place them on a sieve to continue draining. See video.

TIME TO SERVE!

In a bowl, put noodles, add toppings (radish, cucumber, pear, egg and beef) and pour broth into the bowl. Add 3-4 cubes of ice. See my serving suggestions above to see what goes well with my Mul Naengmyeon.

QUICK Mul Naengmyeon Broth (Southern Style)

Instead of cooking and making your own beef broth (which I think still tastes the best), you can also make the soup by just using a store bought chicken broth. Whaaat?? Yess….🤩This is great when you have no time or just too tired to make it all. And my mom tells me this is almost as delicious as the full beef version, so you know it’s yummy!!

BTW, this quick and easy Mul Naengmyeon will taste very similar to the ones you are likely to have at any Korean restaurant in the US – sweet, tangy and refreshing.

I like using Trader Joe’s low sodium chicken broth but you can use Swanson or whatever your favorite broth is. You can also use the beef broth from above but season it with more vinegar and sugar like below. SEE RECIPE CARD.

• Just mix the chicken broth and water. Season with vinegar, salt, soy sauce, kimchi juice and the juice from the radish and cucumber pickles. Just chill and serve with cooked noodles!! Check my recipe card for exact proportions.
  • If you have Mul Kimchi or Dongchimi Kimchi – use this instead of the pickle juices and it will be even better!
  • Instead of your own Mul kimchi juice, buy the wet Pulmuone instant Cold Noodle Soup packet and mix some of the instant soup with the chicken broth. I find this is more flavorful than using the instant one all the way.

Serving Suggestions

Honestly, even though I love Mul Naengmyeon, I find that it can be a bit boring to eat it just by itself so I like to enjoy them with one of these recipes which makes the whole meal much more satisfying and incredibly delicious.

• Boiled Samgyeopsal (Pork belly) is my first LOVE when it comes to eating with my cold noodle soup. This is how our family ate it all the time growing up and it’s really a PERFECT combination. Boil your samgyeopsal in water by following the recipe HERE or Dry cook your samgyeopsal using my mother-in-law’s recipe. Serve with some Cho Ganjang (soy sauce + vinegar).
• Bindaetteok (mungbean pancakes) and Naengmyeon is a CLASSIC Northern Korean combination and can also be a great party menu.
• Kalbi or Bulgogi and Naengmyeon is probably the best known classic combination and it will be loved by everyone.

Here I boiled some samgyeopsal and served it together. BTW, these absolutely beautiful hemp placemats were specially hand stitched by my sister #3 using Korean traditional sewing methods!!! Isn’t she just amazing?? I LOVE these sooo much…❤️ Thank you SIS!!

If you have tried this or any other recipe on my blog then pleaserate the recipe(☆☆☆☆☆ at top right of the recipe card) and leave me a comment to let me know how you like it! Every 5 star helps me a lot and I also love hearing from you! 😍

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Enjoy!

XOXO ❤️,

JinJoo