Korean Spicy Cold Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 lb soba noodles
• Lettuce, thinly sliced
• Green and/or red cabbage, thinly sliced
• Cucumber, julienned
• Carrot, julienned
• Asian pear, julienned
• Green onions, thinly sliced
• Sesame leaves, thinly sliced
• Radish sprouts
• Cabbage and/or radish kimchi
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 4 Tbsp Korean red chili paste, gochu jang
• 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar, light or dark
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Fill a medium-large pot with water and set it over the stove to come to a boil.
2. As the water heats, get the toppings and sauce components ready. Slice the lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, Asian pear, sesame leaves, and radish sprouts as needed, then keep them nearby. Halve each hard-boiled egg and reserve those too.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the red pepper paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds until smooth and combined. Put the sauce aside for the moment.
4. When the water reaches a boil, add the buckwheat noodles, or whatever noodles you are using, and cook them as directed on the package, about 6 minutes, until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander, then rinse them under cold water and let them drain well. For faster chilling, you can add a few ice cubes to the colander or tuck the drained noodles into the freezer briefly, just be sure not to forget them.
5. To serve, divide the cold noodles into a medium bowl. Spoon the dressing over the top, then add the vegetables and fruit you want. Finish with 1 hard-boiled egg half and a few radish sprouts.