Mushroom Noodle Soup (Kalguksu: 버섯 칼국수)

 
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I LOVE noodles; anything that I can slurp, pretty much. I get oddly satisfied by the sound of my own slurping, and for me, nothing hits the spot better than a good noodle soup.

Out of the many noodle soup dishes that I adore is Kalguksu. Kalguksu stands for knife-cut fresh noodles, which is a particular type of noodles. You can make lots of different dishes; some of the popular ones include Chicken Soup Kalguksu, Seafood Kalguksu, and even Kimchi Kalguksu. Kalguksu is one of the most versatile, and beloved noodles in Korea. 

I ALWAYS crave this delicious noodle soup along with some scallion pancakes or seafood Korean pancakes, especially when it’s raining outside. When I first came to America, I had Kalguksu at least once a week. I never get tired of eating this, and I finally had a chance to cook them! Instead of using chicken as the base, I used 4 different kinds of mushroom to flavor the broth and add interesting textures.  

I particularly love mushrooms' umami flavor with onions and fresh arugula. Kalguksu is also chewy and flavorful, which goes perfectly with the delicious mushroom broth. 

Prep time: 10 minutes  l  Cook Time:  25 minutes  l  Total Time: 35 minutes  l  Serving: 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 32oz Beef Broth (but you can substitute with vegetable broth and chicken broth if you want. But beef broth is the best to let the mushroom flavor stand out)

  • 2 Portobello Mushrooms

  • 4 White Mushrooms

  • 4 Cremini (Baby Bello) Mushrooms

  • 1/2 package of Enoki Mushrooms

  • 1 Onion

  • 2 or 3 either Yukon or Russet Potatoes

  • 1 Zucchini

  • 2 servings of Kalguksu

  • 1 tsp of Korean Red Pepper Flakes (Optional if you want to add some heat to the broth. Traditional red pepper flakes that we use for pizza wouldn't work well because they are not fine powder like Korean red pepper flakes.)

  • Salt & Pepper & Garlic Powder to season

  • Fresh Arugula for garnish (chopped scallions also work as well!)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Boil some water in the pot and cook Kalguksu noodles, like you would cook pasta. Cook them as the package suggests. I recommend cooking them no longer than 6 minutes.

  2. Turn off the heat on the pot with cooked kalguksu noodles and set it aside. Do not drain the noodles. Make sure you keep the noodles in the pot with water to prevent the noodles from sticking.

  3. Add beef broth into a medium-deep pot over high heat. While waiting for the broth to boil, chop all the vegetables into bite sizes. Add chopped portobello mushrooms, white mushrooms, and cremini mushrooms first. Then add chopped onions and potatoes. Do not add enoki mushrooms and zucchini yet.

  4. Once the broth boils, change the heat from high to medium-low. Let it simmer about 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent.

  5. Put chopped zucchini into the pot and add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to season the broth to your tasting. If you want to make it a little bit spicy, feel free to add a little bit of Korean red pepper flakes, but it is optional. Let it simmer for additional 3-5 minutes.

  6. Take out cooked kalguksu noodles from the pot and add the noodles into the broth and stir it around. Let the noodles absorb the broth a little bit by letting it simmer for about 2 minutes.

  7. Finish the dish with some fresh arugula on top.

Did you like Kalguksu noodles? Would you want to see more Kalguksu dishes? Let me know!

 
James ParkComment