Cold Spicy Noodles (Leng Mian)

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 2
Yield: 2 servings

Description

A cold Korean noodle dish topped with kimchi is popular in northern China and makes a wonderfully refreshing lunch during the hot summertime.

Ingredients

4 ounces spaghetti, or as needed
2 cups very cold ice water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (chile paste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup kimchi
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 hard-cooked egg, halved
2 slices deli ham, cut into bite-sized pieces

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.