Korea · 2 h · Meat · Main course · For confident cooks
Dak-Kalguksu
In English: Chicken Knife-Cut Noodle Soup
For 4 servings · US units
Hand-cut wheat noodles in clear chicken broth with shredded meat
Kalguksu simply means "knife-cut noodles," and that's the heart of this bowl: wheat dough rolled thin by hand, sliced into narrow strips, and cooked in clear chicken broth. In Korea it's the natural sequel to a dak-baeksuk dinner, where the leftover broth gets put to work for the noodles. Add a spoonful of the spicy seasoning sauce and a side of cabbage kimchi, and you're set.
Servings
Ingredients
- 2⅔ lbchickenwhole or bone-in pieces; simmered for broth, meat shredded afterwards
- 10½ cupsWaterfor the broth
- 2Onionone halved for the broth, one sliced for the soup
- 8 clovesGarlicwhole for the broth, part minced for the meat and the dipping sauce
- 4Scallionswhite parts for the broth, green parts chopped for garnish and sauce
- 4Gingerthin slices, for the broth (optional)
- 1about 3-inch square, briefly boiled then removed (optional)Caution: Dried kelp is very high in iodine, so it should be used only in small amounts and not eaten in large quantities.Dried sheets of brown seaweed (Korean dashima, Japanese kombu), used above all to give broth a deep, savoury base.Substitute: There is no equivalent substitute; a pinch of glutamate seasoning or a little soy sauce adds savouriness but not the rounded, faintly oceanic taste, and the broth will be flatter.Read more
- 1simmered with the chicken (optional)Dried roots, barks and fruits, usually in a cloth bag, simmered in chicken broth to give it an earthy, faintly bittersweet note.Substitute: There is no true substitute, because the character comes from the combination of roots and barks. A fresh or dried ginseng root with a few dried jujubes and some garlic cloves comes closest but tastes less woody and layered; leaving the packet out entirely still gives a good broth, but it will taste like a rich chicken soup rather than the Korean dish.Read more
- 1Zucchinijulienned or sliced, briefly cooked in the soup
- 1Carrotjulienned or sliced
- 1Potatosliced, cooked along with the noodles (optional)
- 1 tbspfor seasoning the brothA pale, very salty Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybean blocks, used to season soups and vegetable side dishes.Substitute: The closest match is Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi), which is also pale and salty but milder and lacks the earthy fermented note of the Korean sauce. Ordinary soy sauce is only a stopgap: it darkens broth and vegetables and tastes sweeter, so use less of it and make up the difference with a little salt.Read more
- Saltfor broth, meat and to draw water from the zucchini
- Black pepperto taste and generously over the finished bowl
- 2 tspto season the broth (optional)Tiny shrimp packed in plenty of salt and fermented, a very salty, savoury paste with the small shrimp still whole.Substitute: Fish sauce is the usual stopgap, especially in kimchi and soups: it supplies salt and umami, but tastes of fish rather than shrimp and leaves no small pieces in the dish. As a dip for pork there is no workable substitute, because the flavour and bite of the whole shrimp are the point there.Read more
- 10½ ozwheat flourfor the noodle dough, plus more for dusting
- ¾ cupwaterfor the noodle dough, added gradually
- 1 tbspvegetable oilworked into the noodle dough (optional)
- 14⅛ ozfresh or dried, instead of homemade dough (optional)Flat, fresh wheat noodles made from flour, water and salt, traditionally cut by knife from rolled-out dough. Soft with a gentle chew.Substitute: The closest substitute is homemade noodles of wheat flour, water and salt, rolled thin and cut into strips about five millimetres wide. Fresh flat Chinese wheat noodles or thin udon also work, though udon are thicker and firmer. Italian ribbon pasta made from durum wheat or with egg is firmer, releases less starch and barely thickens the broth.Read more
- 3 tbspSoy saucebase of the seasoning sauce
- 2 tspfor the seasoning sauceKorean chili flakes made from sun-dried red chilies, ground coarse or fine. Bright red, fruity, mild to medium hot and slightly smoky.Substitute: The closest match is Aleppo pepper (pul biber) from a Turkish grocery, which is similarly fruity and mild but oilier, often salted and slightly tangier. In a pinch, mix sweet paprika with a little cayenne; this roughly matches colour and heat but not the fruitiness or texture. Ordinary crushed red pepper flakes are too hot to use in the usual quantities.Read more
- 2 tspfor the sauce and the shredded meatDark oil pressed from toasted sesame seeds, with a strong, nutty, roasted aroma; usually added at the end in small amounts as a seasoning.Substitute: There is no real substitute, as no other oil carries the roasted aroma; at a pinch, a neutral oil with freshly pan-toasted, crushed sesame seeds helps, though the flavour stays clearly weaker.Read more
- 2 tspSesame seedstoasted, for the seasoning sauce
- ½ tspSugarfor the seasoning sauce (optional)
- 1fresh chilichopped, into the seasoning sauce (optional)
Method
- Make the noodle doughFor the noodle dough, mix the flour with salt, add the water a little at a time, and knead in the cooking oil if you like, until you have a firm, smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Start the chicken brothPut the chicken in a pot with the water and add the halved onion, about half of the garlic cloves, whole, and the white parts of the scallions; if using, add the ginger slices or the Korean herb packet. Set the remaining garlic cloves aside, minced, for the meat and the seasoning sauce. Bring to a boil, skim the foam carefully, and, if using, let the dried kelp steep briefly before lifting it back out.
- Simmer and shred the chickenCover and simmer gently over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Take the chicken out, let it cool a little, pull the meat off the bones, and season it with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and sesame oil.
- Strain the brothStrain the broth, discard the spent aromatics, and skim the fat off the surface.
- Roll and cut the noodlesRoll the dough out thin on a well-floured surface, fold it loosely a few times, and cut it into narrow strips with a knife. Shake the noodles apart and dust them generously with flour so they don't stick together.
- Prep the vegetablesCut the zucchini into matchsticks, salt it, let it sit briefly, then squeeze out the water. Cut the remaining onion and the carrot into strips or slices as well.
- Season broth and cook noodlesBring the broth back to a boil, season it with soup soy sauce, salt, and salted shrimp if you like, then add the onion and carrot. Parboil the noodles in a second pot of plenty of water, drain them, and finish cooking them in the boiling broth — or put them straight into the bowls and ladle the broth over. Add the zucchini for the last 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mix the seasoning sauceFor the seasoning sauce, stir together the soy sauce, gochugaru, minced garlic, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, chopped scallion greens, and sugar and fresh chili to taste.
- Assemble and serveDivide the noodles and broth among bowls, top with the seasoned chicken and scallion greens, grind plenty of black pepper over the top, and serve the seasoning sauce alongside.
Tips and variations
If you like a thicker, starchier soup, cook the noodles straight in the broth; parboiling them separately keeps the broth clearer. You can also rinse parboiled noodles in cold water and reheat them in hot broth just before serving (toryeom). Vary the add-ins between zucchini, carrot, and potato slices — the potato just cooks along with the noodles. For a quicker version, use shredded chicken breast with ready-made chicken broth and store-bought fresh or dried kalguksu noodles. Serve with cabbage kimchi on the side.
Allergens
Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Sesame, Soybeans
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Fish, Crustaceans
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
