A Year to Learn Korean Cooking: Kalguksu

Today let’s learn about cooking kalguksu 칼국수 at home! This homemade noodle soup is famous during the hot and humid summer months. Depending upon your tastes, there are many ways to diversify this soup to your liking.

About the South of Seoul “A Year to Learn Korean Cooking’ Series

Many of us live in South Korea for only a year. However, the time flies past faster than we can imagine. At South of Seoul, we decided to create a simple series that will offer 2-4 dishes to learn each month so that when you leave South Korea you have a slew of new dishes you feel comfortable making anywhere.

This series is a collaboration with Kimchi Rednecks. In 2020 they created the first blog in this series Online Resources for Learning to Cook Korean Food. These two love to have adventures in the kitchen and share the results with their community. Be sure to follow Kimchi Rednecks on YouTube for other great videos about living life in South Korea.

About Kalguksu

Kalguksu 칼국수 literally means “knife noodle” and refers to the stars of this soup, the excellent homemade knife-cut wheat noodles. Combining the noodles with a flavorful broth and other ingredients for garnish makes this soup a dish to crave any time of the year. In addition, you can complement your meal by enjoying some kimchi 김치 or kkakdugi 깍두기(cubed radish kimchi) as sides.

Your choice of base for the broth for this soup depends upon the version you are making. However, many versions use the standard Korean soup stock with kelp and anchovy base.

A few of the most common styles of kalguksu found in restaurants and homes across Korea are:

• Dak Kalguksu 닭 칼국수 uses chicken for the broth, and the garnish is chicken and zucchini.
• Haemul Kalgusku 해물칼국수 uses seafood (squid, clams, crabs, shrimp, etc.) to flavor the broth. In areas where fresh seafood is plentiful, this dish is frequently found.
• Andong Guksu 안동국시 adds soybean powder into the noodle mixture for a more flavorful noodle.
• Eolkeunyi Kalguksu 얼큰이칼국수 is for those who want this dish to be spicy as gochujang and gochugaru are added to the anchovy broth.

Biggest Hurdle In Cooking Kalguksu

If you have never made pasta before, the idea of making your own homemade noodles may feel overwhelming. However, these knife-cut noodles are not as difficult as one might think. Neither my husband nor I had ever made homemade noodles before this dish.

Because the noodles symbolize longevity, the dough should be rolled out thin and flat and then cut into long strips.

After our first experience, we developed some tips we will use the next time we make kalguksu at home.

• Since the noodles plump quite a bit upon cooking, make sure to roll your dough thin and cut your noodles into skinny strips. (Think spaghetti-size or vermicelli).
• Since the noodles only require about 3 to 5 minutes to cook, be careful not to overcook them.
• Try different broth options for different flavors. Change up your vegetable garnishes as well for other varieties.
• Once the noodles are cooked, you need to eat this dish immediately so it does not become a soggy mess.

When making your own homemade noodles, this dish takes a bit more time. If you are short on time cooking kalguksu, you can either make the noodles and broth on separate days. However, Korean markets typically have fresh kalguksu noodles available in the refrigerated section. In addition, you could also use dried udon noodles.

Three Recommended Cooking Kalguksu Videos to Watch

Since this is popular food, especially during summer months in Korea, it is incredibly easy to find this dish in local restaurants. Cooking kalguksu at home takes time but is so delicious. In spite of the time it takes to make this dish, we intend to perfect our noodles and try out some of the different varieties in the future.

Korean American Cooking Kalguksu

Korean Cooking Kalguksu

Americans in Korea Cooking Kalguksu

Let Us Know How It Turns Out

When you make kalguksu for the first time at home, be sure to leave a comment and let us know how it turned out! Also, if you live in Pyeongtaek, you can even share your success (or failure) with us in the Pyeongtaek Food & Fun Facebook group. If you are looking for other dishes (Korean or otherwise) or reviews of restaurants, be sure to check out the KimchiRednecks channel or check out our social media accounts on Facebook or Instagram, where we often share what we are cooking or eating.

Read more in our Year to Learn Korean Cooking Series