
15 minute Spicy Korean Noodle Soup Recipe
This can be a fast Korean noodle soup that’s wholesome, packs huge flavours and can curb your spicy Asian meals cravings. The broth will get its flavour from gochujang and kimchi – specific passes to flavour! (PS The soup appears to be like way more fiercely spicy than it truly is, however this isn’t one for teenagers.)

This can be a little bit of a gold nugget recipe as a result of it’s truly fairly troublesome to make good spicy Asian soups. You possibly can’t simply add a squirt of chilli sauce right into a traditional Chinese language soup broth. Effectively, you may, but it surely lacks the oomph of actually good spicy Asian soups which have daring savoury flavour that compliments the spiciness. To make a fantastic one, you usually want a mound of bones simmered for hours to make a selfmade inventory, a LOT of chilli oil or a deft mixture of hard-to-find Asian sauces.
Therefore my pleasure over this spicy Asian soup recipe. Particularly when it handed the very best of all taste-testing-bars: my brother. Well-known in our circles for his powerful critique of my recipes – learn the backstory in Chilli Lime Fish for entertaining proof!
Spice-meter
This soup is undeniably spicy from kimchi and gochujang, however not blow-your-head-off spicy. Whereas I declare myself to have the ability to deal with the warmth, I truly can’t. However…….shhhhh!!! Let’s maintain that secret between the 2 of us – can’t have everybody realizing what a chilli-wuss I truly am. 😂
Can’t deal with spicy meals in any respect? Make my Chinese language Noodle Soup as a substitute which has zero chilli it. You actually can’t dial down the spiciness on this Korean noodle soup with out affecting the flavour.


The 2 key components on this soup – each of which may be picked up at most on a regular basis grocery shops – are kimchi and gochujang. Gochujang is a wickedly good Korean paste to have in your fridge – if solely to make this soup time and again!! Extra data under.


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Kimchi is a conventional Korean pickle of fermented greens packed in tangy, spicy juice. The cabbage model (the most typical sort) is greatest on this soup. The cabbage acts like a mop for the sauce so that you get additional flavour within the broth!
Broadly accessible within the fridge part of enormous grocery shops or Asian shops nowadays. We use each the sauce within the jar in addition to the greens for this recipe. The sauce is loaded with flavour, don’t waste it! Add it into stir fries or Asian soups for a success of additional salt and spiciness.
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Gochujang is a spicy Korean paste loaded with savory flavour. It makes an look usually in my Korean recipes – together with the Sluggish Cooked Beef Ribs in Korean BBQ Sauce which is a signature dish in my cookbook (it’s insanely simple for phenomenal outcomes!).
Available nowadays in giant grocery shops (Asian aisle, not fridge) and Asian shops.
Different broth components
And listed below are the opposite components required for the Korean soup broth:

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Chicken inventory/broth – use low sodium, else it could be too salty as soon as all of the sauces are added.
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Fish sauce – Provides salt into the broth, and extra flavour than simply plain salt and even soy sauce.
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Soy sauce – Extra salt into the broth (simply utilizing fish sauce is just a little too fishy). Use both gentle or all objective soy sauce. Not darkish soy sauce, the flavour is just too robust! Extra on totally different soy sauces right here.
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Chinese language cooking wine – or mirin or dry sherry. Only a small quantity provides depth of flavour and complexity to soups and sauces. With out, you’ll discover that the soup is lacking “one thing”. Substitute with extra fish sauce (see recipe notes).
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Ginger and garlic – To infuse the broth with flavour.
Soup add-ins

I’ve used choy sum and carrots on this soup. However it’s one to make your personal! Use no matter cookable greens you need.
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Kimchi – As per above, we use the juices within the jar to flavour the broth in addition to the cabbage. Korean spicy goodness to the max!
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Noodles – Use any sort you need. I like utilizing skinny egg noodles for this – dried ones. However the recipe will work superb with any noodles in any respect, simply put together based on packet instructions.
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Choy sum – Love utilizing Asian greens for quick-prep recipes. So fast to cut! Plus, an excellent distinction of textures – some recent crunch from the stem and floppiness from the leafy half. Be happy to substitute with different Asian greens (bok choy, gai lan/Chinese language broccoli and so on)
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Carrot – For some crunch and wonderful contrasting color! I’ve minimize it into batons however should you can’t be bothered, simply slice it on an angle. It actually doesn’t matter. 🙂
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Inexperienced onion – Contemporary garnish! Optionally available.
This recipe has a fantastic environment friendly move to it. Pour the inventory into the saucepan then as it’s coming as much as the simmer, measure out and add the remaining components into the broth. Then whereas the broth is simmering for 10 minutes to carry the flavours collectively, chop the veg and prepare dinner the noodles. Then assemble the soup bowls!

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Choy sum chopping – Trim the roots off. Lower into 7cm / 2.5″ items then separate the stems from the leafy half. Why? As a result of we add the stems first as they take longer to prepare dinner than the leaves which wilt in actually seconds. So we put them into the pot proper on the finish.
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Kimchi – Measure out 2/3 cups kimchi and a pair of tablespoons of kimchi juice. Press and squeeze the cabbage if wanted to extract the juice! We’d like it for flavour, so don’t be brief!
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Simmer broth 10 minutes – Place all of the broth components right into a saucepan then simmer for 10 minutes to carry the flavours collectively. I simmer the kimchi cabbage with the broth components to extract the kimchi juices out of it.
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Prepare dinner veg – Prepare dinner the bok choy stems and carrots for two minutes, then the leafy a part of the choy sum for simply 1 minute. Then that’s it! The broth is completed, able to assemble the noodle bowls.
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Prepare dinner noodles – Prepare dinner the noodles based on the packet instructions whereas the broth is simmering, then drain.
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Assemble – Place the noodles in a bowl. Then ladle over the soup broth and all of the add-ins. Sprinkle with inexperienced onions if utilizing then serve!

That is such a gloriously fast dinner to make once you’re craving one thing wholesome, one thing fast, one thing spicy or one thing slurpy – or any mixture there of. 😂 It’s fabulously versatile with the add-ins: select your personal greens, select your personal noodles, add proteins if you need.
Whereas I encourage you to make this soup your personal, I’ll, nevertheless, get just a little strict with the soup broth! The mix and amount of sauces is one which my workforce and I agreed made the tastiest soup, after going forwards and backwards fairly a couple of instances, with a couple of heated “debates” thrown in. In the event you skip any of the sauces, it can nonetheless style good however not as nice as it’s meant to be.
So I actually do hope you attempt the broth as written considered one of nowadays! And bear in mind, you will get every little thing at giant supermarkets right here in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms).
Take pleasure in! – Johnsat x

Ingredients
- 4 cups / 1 litre chicken stock/broth , low-sodium
- 2/3 cup cabbage kimchi (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp kimchi juice , from kimchi tub (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp gochujang (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 3)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (sub more soy)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine, Note 4)
- 2 slices ginger , sliced 0.7cm / 1/3" thick (skin on)
- 1 large garlic clove , smashed (Note 5)
- 200g/ 7oz thin fresh egg noodles (or 100g/3.5oz dried – Note 6)
- 4 stems choi sum or other Asian greens, cut into 7cm / 2.5" lengths, stems separated from leafy part
- 1 small carrot , peeled, cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 1/2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 8)
- 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions (1 stem)
Instructions
- Broth – Place all broth ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat so it’s simmering gently. Simmer 10 minutes without a lid.
- Cook vegetables – Add choi sum stems and carrot to the broth. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add choi sum leaves and simmer for another minute. Stir in sesame oil just before serving.
- Noodles – Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in boiling water per packet directions. Drain, give the noodles a quick rinse under tap water. Shake off excess water well.
- Assemble – Divide noodles between bowls. Top with the vegetables. Pick the garlic and ginger out of the broth, then broth pour over the noodles. Sprinkle with green onions and serve!
Notes
1. Kimchi is a traditional Korean pickle of fermented vegetables packed in tangy, spicy juice. Widely available in the fridge section of large grocery stores or Asian stores. Extract the juice by squeezing the spoon against the cabbage (there’s usually plenty in the jar, just need to extract it!).
2. Gochujang is a spicy Korean rice and bean paste loaded with savory flavour. You’ll need it for one of the signature recipes in my cookbook: Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs! Also for most Korean recipes I’ve shared.
3. Soy – Use light or all-purpose soy sauce but not dark soy sauce – too strong! More on different soy sauces here.
4. Chinese cooking wine – Substitute with mirin or dry sherry. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use another 1½ teaspoons fish sauce.
5. Smashed garlic – place the side of a knife on the garlic clove, then hit the palm of your hand on it to make the clove burst open but mostly hold together.
6. Noodles – Use any type you want! Try vermicelli or lo mein noodles.
7. Veg – Feel free to sub with anything of your choice.
8. Sesame oil – toasted sesame oil is brown and has more flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, untoasted is harder to find.
Leftovers – Store broth and noodles separately for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat separately then put together!
Nutrition per serving.