Kimchi Is Too Spicy For Some…

…. so I decided to share a white kimchi version. This is water kimchi with Korean radish, called dongchimi (dong [long o] -chee-me). It’s salted and fermented, and the recipe for it is right here. In this recipe, though, I’m using dongchimi as a broth for a gut-friendly version of naeng-myeon, or cold noodles that Koreans eat after KBBQ or when it gets too hot out. The noodles in naeng-myeon are often hard to digest for me, and buckwheat noodles actually have a ton of health benefits.

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Dongchimi kimchi (4-5 cups) - can also buy from the a Korean grocery store

• Buckwheat noodles

• 1 Persian cucumber, cut into matchsticks

• 1 slice of Korean pear cut into matchsticks

• 1 hard-boiled egg

• Spicy mustard or 겨자 (gyeo-ja) to taste

• Vinegar to taste

• Optional: ice to keep the broth cold

Directions:

• Bring water to a boil, then add 1 serving of buckwheat noodles to a medium-sized bowl over low heat. Let it cook until noodles are soft, which is about 5-7 minutes. At the same time, boil 1 egg for 10 minutes. (You don’t want this runny or else it’ll affect the broth taste). Once the noodles are done cooking, dunk in cold water, then drain.

• While the noodles and eggs are boiling, cut 1 Persian cucumber into thin matchsticks and cut 1 slice of Korean pear into matchsticks

• Transfer cold noodles to the empty bowl. Add broth to bowl until it’s filled to the top. Add cucumber, Korean pear for garnish. Add ice if you’d like. Cut the hard-boiled egg in half and garnish. Enjoy!