Korean Warm Rice Noodle and Beef Salad Recipe
This dish combines the lightness of a salad with the heartiness of noodles and beef. In Korea, similar dishes are often served in a large bowl for everyone to mix together, a bit like an Asian version of a grilled pasta salad. The flavor is fresh, sesame-forward and slightly spicy, and it works perfectly as a quick after-work dinner.
This salad brings together Korean flavors in a form that’s both comforting and light: chewy rice noodles, juicy stir-fried beef and crisp vegetables all coated in a sesame-gochujang dressing. It’s quick to make, looks impressive in a big sharing bowl and can be served warm or at room temperature, making it very flexible for busy weeknights.
Chef's tips
Slice the beef as thinly as possible against the grain so it cooks quickly and stays tender. Don’t overcook the meat—high heat and a short frying time give the best texture. Adjust the amount of gochujang to your heat tolerance, and always taste the sauce before mixing it with the noodles so you can balance saltiness and acidity.
How to serve
Serve as a one-bowl meal with kimchi, pickled radish or a simple cucumber salad on the side. For a more filling spread, pair it with steamed rice and a light miso or seaweed soup. You can also pack it into lunch boxes and eat it closer to room temperature.
Ingredients
- rice noodles - 180 g
- beef - 200 g
- bell pepper - 0.5 pieces
- carrot - 1 piece
- cucumber - 0.5 pieces
- chives - 3 tablespoons
- garlic - 2 pieces
- soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
- gochujang paste - 1 tablespoon
- rice vinegar - 1.5 tablespoons
- sesame oil - 1.5 tablespoons
- vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon
- sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles in a large bowl and leave them for the time indicated on the package (usually 5–8 minutes), until they soften but are still springy. Then drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water so they don’t stick together.
- Cut the beef into thin strips. Finely chop the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Cut the bell pepper and cucumber into thin strips, and either coarsely grate the carrot or cut it into thin matchsticks. Chop the chives.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, gochujang paste, rice vinegar and sesame oil until you get a smooth sauce. Taste and, if needed, add a bit more vinegar or soy sauce.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over fairly high heat. Add the beef and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the meat changes color and is lightly browned but not dried out.
- Add the garlic and carrot to the meat and fry for another 2 minutes, until the carrot softens slightly. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Put the drained noodles into a large bowl, add the fried beef with carrot, bell pepper, cucumber and most of the chives. Pour in the prepared sauce.
- Mix everything thoroughly with tongs or two spoons until the noodles and add-ins are evenly coated with the sauce. If the dish seems too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of water.
- Sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds and the remaining chives. Serve immediately, warm or at room temperature.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I like to treat this salad as a base recipe: sometimes I add leftover grilled vegetables, sometimes I swap the beef for tofu when I want something lighter. The key is not to skip the sesame oil and gochujang—they give the dish its distinct Korean character.
