Noodles covered in a spicy gochujang sauce make for the perfect cold noodle bowl to have during Summer! We add in fresh cucumbers and carrots for a nice crunch and a healthy dose of vegetables. This recipe also happens to be vegan and vegetarian-friendly (just make sure to check your labels on the type of gochujang you purchase).
Our Easy Gochujang Cold Noodles Recipe
We have a similar gochujang cold noodles recipe on our site, however, in that one we add in kimchi. This recipe is super easy and does not require any kimchi. Of course, if you’d like to add kimchi to this recipe, we’re not going to stop you!
This gochujang noodles recipe is so quick and easy! You’ll have a delicious lunch or dinner ready in no time. Plus, these noodles are served cold and tossed in a savory and spicy gochujang sauce. Which makes this recipe the ultimate Summer dish! We just can’t get enough of this when it is scorching hot outside!
Key Ingredients For This Gochujang Cold Noodles Recipe
Korean red chili paste (gochujang) – You just have to have this ingredient for this recipe. There is no substitute. Plus, once you have a tub of gochujang in your home, you can use it for so many recipes! We’ll have some links to more recipes that utilize gochujang below.
White wheat-based noodles – We used Asian-style white noodles that are made with wheat flour. The noodles are thin, kind of like thin spaghetti noodles. Using this type of noodle is the more traditional way to make cold noodles (other than using buckwheat noodles). Feel free to swap out the noodles for buckwheat if you prefer. You could also have fun experimenting with zucchini noodles, or other noodles to fit your dietary needs.
Cucumbers and carrots – In our humble opinion, this is a must for this recipe. The addition of the julienned cucumbers and carrots gives this noodle bowl a nice crunch. Plus, it adds to your veggie intake! A win-win!
A Vegan/Vegetarian Recipe
Gochujang is a versatile paste that’s commonly used in vegetable and plant-based cuisines in Korea. The majority of gochujang sauces are vegan. If you’re purchasing the paste, double-check the ingredient list to be sure, although it’s normally vegan-friendly.
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is a sweet, spicy, and delicious fermented Korean chili paste. It’s brilliant red in color, sticky and thick, and utilized in Korean cookery as a condiment or in sauces. (Think of “sticky tomato paste” to get a sense of the texture.)
Where Can I Find Gochujang?
The surest way to find a tub of gochujang is at a local international market, or better yet, a Korean/Asian grocery store/market. However, gochujang is becoming more widely available at major supermarkets so you may be able to find some there as well.
Gluten-Free Gochujang Options
Check the label on your gochujang if you wish to make this dish gluten-free. Gochujang is gluten-free in its purest form. Most commercial brands, on the other hand, thicken the paste using wheat flour.
A few brands are still gluten-free, but be sure to check the label! Here are some options to look into that we found:
More Recipes That Use Gochujang
- Gochujang Stir-fried Rice Noodles with Shrimp
- Gochujang Stir-fried Chicken
- Korean Cold Noodles with Spicy Sweet and Sour Gochujang Sauce
- Grilled Pork Belly Korean BBQ (Samgyeopsal-gui)
- Korean Bibimbap with Poke Salad (Sallet)
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Easy Gochujang Noodles
Noodles covered in a spicy gochujang sauce is the perfect cold noodle bowl to have during Summer! We add in fresh cucumbers and carrots for a nice crunch and a healthy dose of vegetables.
Ingredients
- ½ cucumber, julienned
- ½ large-sized carrot (or 1 medium-sized), julienned
- 3 green onions, diagonally sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 bundles Asian-style white noodles
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- Water
For the sweet and sour gochujang sauce:
- 6 Tbsp Korean red chili paste (gochujang)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
Instructions
- When the water is boiling add ½ tsp of salt. Let’s cook the noodles. Once the noodles have really started boiling, add ½ cup of cold water to the pot. Stir it all in. Let it come to a boil again. Once it reaches a rolling boil again, add another ½ cup of cold water to the pot. This technique makes sure the noodles will stay on the chewy side and not get mushy. Once it reaches a boil again, drain well and rinse with cold water. Note: Feel free to cook the noodles according to the package instructions, we are just sharing how we like to cook our noodles.
- Then combine the noodles, the sesame oil, minced garlic, green onions, cucumber, carrots, and the gochujang sauce in a large bowl. Note: Save a little bit of the julienned carrots and cucumber to place on top of each noodle bowl. Mix together well.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve! Enjoy!
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