Chogye-guksu (Cold Chicken Noodle Soup)
A tangy, refreshing cold noodle dish perfect for hot summer days. A light chicken broth made with just chicken breast, topped with vegetables and shredded chicken tossed in a sweet-and-sour chogye dressing. The key is chilling the broth ahead of time.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Water1200ml
- Chicken breast2 pieces
- Green onion (large)1/2 stalk
- Dried anchovies3-4 (or 1/2 tbsp anchovy powder)
- Dried kelp2 sheets
- Whole garlic cloves5 cloves
- Cucumber1
- Korean radish1/4
- Carrot1/4
- Onion1/4
- Somyeon (thin wheat noodles)2 servings
- Salt (for salting)1 tbsp
Chogye Dressing
- Vinegar4 tbsp
- Sugar3 tbsp
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Mustard1 tbsp (or wasabi)
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
Broth Seasoning
- Vinegar1/3 cup
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Salt1 tbsp
Directions
- 1
Make the broth — In 1200ml of water, add 1/2 green onion, 3-4 dried anchovies (or 1/2 tbsp anchovy powder), 2 sheets of kelp, and 5 garlic cloves, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 chicken breasts rinsed under running water.
- 2
While the broth simmers, julienne the radish and cucumber, add 1 tbsp of salt, and let them pickle.
- 3
After 30 minutes, firmly squeeze out the water from the pickled radish and cucumber.
- 4
After 15-20 minutes, once the chicken is cooked through, take it out, let it cool briefly, and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Keep the broth simmering on low heat.
- 5
Strain the broth, let it cool briefly, then chill it in the fridge.
- 6
Make the chogye dressing — Mix 4 tbsp vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mustard, and 1 tbsp minced garlic to taste. Since chogye-guksu is all about the tangy flavor, feel free to add a bit more vinegar, and adjust the salt at the end.
- 7
Add the chogye dressing to the pickled cucumber and radish, shredded chicken, and julienned carrot and onion, then toss everything together well.
- 8
Cook the noodles — Add somyeon to boiling water. When the foam rises, add half a cup of cold water. When it boils again, add the other half cup, and when it boils once more, turn off the heat (cold water each time it foams up, 3 times total). Rinse the cooked noodles in cold water right away.
- 9
Season the broth — To the chilled broth, add 1/3 cup vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce (for aroma), and 1 tbsp salt for a sweet-and-sour flavor. Seasoning the broth itself keeps it from tasting bland when eaten with the toppings.
- 10
Place the noodles in a bowl, top with the dressed toppings, float a few ice cubes, and pour in the broth to finish.
- 11
Pile on the toppings generously. The dressed vegetables and chicken are also tangy and delicious on their own as a side dish.
Tips
Using cuts with the bone in gives a deeper broth flavor. You can rinse frozen chicken breast and drop it straight into boiling water, or thaw it in the fridge for 12 hours the day before to save time. Buckwheat noodles pair even better with chogye-guksu than thin wheat noodles.