Cold Spicy Noodles (Leng Mian)

A Korean dish, popular in northern China. I ate this for lunch every day for an entire year when I lived in Jinzhou, China. The cook was certain that eating this cold dish during the cold northern winter would be bad for my stomach, but it never was! This makes a wonderfully refreshing lunch during the hot summertime.

Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
2
Yield:
2 bowls

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces spaghetti, or as needed

Sauce:

  • 2 cups very cold ice water

  • ½ cup white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons white sugar

  • 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (chile paste)

  • ½ teaspoon salt

Garnish:

  • 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks

  • ½ cup kimchi

  • ¼ cup roasted peanuts

  • 1 hard-cooked egg, halved (Optional)

  • 2 slices deli ham, cut into bite-sized pieces (Optional)

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, combine ice water, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sambal oelek in a bowl. Refrigerate sauce to chill until spaghetti is cooked.

  3. Rinse cooked spaghetti in cold water until totally cooled off; drain well.

  4. Divide sauce between 2 chilled servings bowls. Add equal amounts of spaghetti, cucumber, kimchi, peanuts, egg, and ham to each bowl. Serve immediately.

Cook's Note:

To save time and avoid heating up your kitchen during the hottest part of the day, you can cook the spaghetti a few hours ahead and store, drained and covered, in the refrigerator. You can also prepare the other ingredients ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator, then make up the bowls when you are ready to serve and eat.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

479 Calories
14g Fat
70g Carbs
22g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 2
Calories 479
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 2204mg 96%
Total Carbohydrate 70g 25%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 22g 44%
Vitamin C 24mg 26%
Calcium 103mg 8%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 611mg 13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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