Get ready to have a huge smile on your face because this dish is something to get excited for. Oh and Happy Tuesday! Tuesdays need more Korean Food don’t you think?
This was by far the first dish that I completely fell in love with while in Korea. We were out for one of our gigantic lunches and Rob’s family decided to order 6 different dishes and we would all share aka the best way to order food. We had ordered this dish, a Korean seafood pancake, cold noodles in a ice broth (was not the biggest fan) and a few dishes that now I cant recall. But this was the dish that I knew was going to be ordered again and again. It was so flavourful and Spicy I felt like I couldn’t stop eating it. You know when you have a bunch of different food on your plate but you purposely put aside your favourite bite so it is the last taste in your mouth, yup me too. So clearly when we got home this was bound to become a new favourite. There seems to be a pattern of me travelling and coming back with spicy salads. Case in point in Thailand the Spicy Woon Sen Salad and Papaya Salad with Thai Red chillies. There has been a few occasions where I accidentally sweated Rob out while eating these. Its not my fault my heat tolerance is so high.
So currently we are in Dominica as every year when we come here we can never seem to leave and this week we are climbing up to the Boiling Lake. It is 8 hours of straight uphill and straight downhill hiking. It is tough and remembering the last time that we did it there was a bit of Jello leg going on the next day. But, hiking through a rainforest and rivers and hot springs it such a reward in itself. Last time our guide made us Lunch for when we got to the top and it was this smoked marlin fish dip, fried plantains and about 4 other dishes that were so delicious I am actually excited about getting to the top and having it again. Although, we ate so much and then still had 3 hours of hiking in front of us so it made it a little more difficult coming down. If you ever come to Dominica this hike is a must, and just make sure on the way back you stop at the hot springs to give your legs some much needed TLC. Oh and of a course a beer to congratulate yourself
I remember last year reading this article in Bon Appetite magazine (I Think) saying that Gochujang is going to be the next Sirracha. Hmm well it seems like that didn’t happen but I can see why they would say that. It is delicious and if you have never had it I highly highly recommend trying it.
What is Gochujang? It is a Korean Fermented Hot Pepper Paste and is served with almost every dish. Come to think of it, there wasn’t a time when there wasn’t some on the table. And there is a good reason for it, its so good and addicting just like Sirracha, but in my opinion my flavourful and defiantly spicier. You can buy it in small, or large, red tubs at an asian market but just beware that with this sauce there is a scale on the front to tell you how hot it is. I go for a medium-high heat and it is quite spicy so if you are not used to the heat I would recommend going with a low to start. Especially if you are serving this salad to a bunch of people who aren’t used to eating spicy things or you might end up what I have done and sweat them out
Here are a few reasons why I love this dish and why you will as well:
- Gochujang adds a spicy kick
- Healthy
- Buckwheat noodles for a Gluten Free Meal
- Creamy 5 min Eggs
- Full of Veggies
- Simple
- Addicting
I am not kidding about the addicting part let me tell you
I have to say that I enjoy more and more experimenting and cooking with Korean dishes and ingredients. One thing that is so nice is how healthy everything is. Even when we were in Seoul and were having these massive lunches and dinners we never felt bad, not like if you were to sit down at home and have a giant steak with loaded potatoes, creamed spinach and mushroom sauce and feel like you can’t move for days.
I guess this means you will be seeing a lot more Korean meals from me ….
Enjoy!
- Salad:
- 1 Carrot, Julienned
- 1 Daikon, Julienned
- 2 Bunches Soba Noodles
- 1/4 Small Red Cabbage, Shredded
- 1 Zucchini, Julienned
- 1/4 Cucumber, Thinly Sliced
- 3 Soft Boiled Eggs, 5 Min.
- Sesame Seeds, To Garnish
- Dressing:
- 3 Tbl. Gochujang
- 1 Tbl. Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbl. Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tsp. Honey
- 1 Tsp. Sesame Oil
- 1 1/2 Tbl. Sugar
- 1 Tbl. Green Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 1/2 Tsp. Sesame Seeds
- Start by making the dressing. Add the the dressing ingredients into a bowl and site to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste. Set aside
- Place a medium pot of water over the stove and bring to boil. Once boiling, add the soba noodles and cook for a few minutes or until cooked through but still has some bite to it. If you over cook the noodles they will become mush. Drain the noodles into a strainer and run some old water over them to stop the cooking process
- Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water over high heat to a boil. Once boiling, carefully drop the eggs in one by one with a slotted spoon and cook for 5 minutes. After five minutes, place the eggs into a bowl of ice water for 1 minute to stop the eggs from further cooking
- While the eggs are cooking toss all the ingredients, besides the sesame seeds and eggs, into a bowl and mix with the dressing gently. Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds
- After 1 minute of the eggs being in ice water gently peel them. Slice each egg in half and very quickly place on the plate before the yolks run out
- Serve and enjoy
Wow this was tasty. Has it along tsukune and some chinese spinach with sesame miso but really for lunch this would work on its own or for dinner with a piece of fish or some squid. Absolutely adictive!
Thank you so much it’s one of my favourites