Is there anything more delicious than a bowl of spicy kimchi noodle soup to warm you up? A riff on the beloved Korean dish jjigae (kimchi stew), this easy soup is quick to make and calls for just a handful of inexpensive ingredients. This kimchi soup is warm, spicy, hearty and has lots of umami flavor. Once you take your first bite, you won’t be able to stop until your bowl is completely empty.
I recently made a big jar of kimchi that was ready to be eaten and wanted to try it in a new recipe. I’ve made kimchi fried rice, cheesy kimchi noodles, and kimchi pancakes , but never kimchi soup. I found this recipe on one of my favorite sites, New York Times Cooking.
You’ll need just a few ingredients besides the kimchi. If you don’t have homemade kimchi, use your favorite store bought brand.
I am particularly fond of Sun Noodle’s fresh udon which are thick, chewy, and oh so delicious. They elevate any dish that calls for udon noodles. Here on Maui they are available at Island Grocery in Kahului so if you’re in the area stop by to pick up a package. Otherwise, feel free to use another brand of fresh or dried udon.
This recipe is pretty straight forward. Once you have all of your ingredients ready to go, the scallions, ginger and garlic are briefly cooked until fragrant. The kimchi and kimchi juice are then added to the pan followed by the stock, soy sauce and greens. Once the greens are tender, the soup is ladled over the udon noodles and garnished with more scallions and sesame seeds. Extra toppings such as a boiled egg and fresh sprigs of cilantro (if you are a fan) and crunchy garlic chili crunch for added heat transform this into a truly memorable bowl of soup.
Adapted from New York Times Cooking
Ingredients
6 ounces udon (fresh recommended)
1 tablespoon neutral oil
4 scallions thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, about 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped kimchi, plus 3 tablespoons kimchi juice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
2 cups roughly chopped baby bok choy (substitute with kale or spinach)
White roasted sesame seeds, boiled eggs, chili crunch, and roughly chopped cilantro (optional)
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook udon according to package instructions. Drain and distribute evenly among two serving bowls.
- In the same pot used for boiling udon, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over medium heat. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic, and cook until they begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in kimchi and kimchi juice and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the stock and soy sauce and stir together to combine. Bring to a simmer and stir in your greens. If using baby bok choy, stir in the chopped stems and let simmer for a minute before adding the greens. Allow everything to simmer until the greens are tender and the flavors come together, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt if needed.
- Ladle soup over the udon and garnish with scallions and other toppings to taste.
Notes
- Using baby bok choy adds a nice crisp texture to the soup, however, feel free to use other greens such as spinach or kale.
- Place the cooked noodles in a colander and run hot water over them to briefly warm them up before adding the soup to the bowl.