Noodles

Knife-Cut Noodle Soup

kal-guksu

Hand-cut wheat noodles in a hearty broth, often with clams or chicken.

Medium45 min3 servings★ 72Contains glutenContains shellfishContains soy

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History & culture

Hand-cut kalguksu is often linked to home kitchens and neighborhood markets where wheat dough was rolled and sliced with a blade. Tradition holds that a simple anchovy or clam broth with vegetables made a humble winter meal across provinces. The name and method spread from rural noodle-making to urban kalguksu specialty shops in the late 20th century. It remains widely cited as comfort food bridging farm-home cooking and restaurant noodle culture.

Servings

KCook

Ingredients & steps

Cook mode

Ingredients

Onion
1/2 medium
Boneless chicken thigh
300 g, boneless, sliced
Zucchini
1/2 medium, sliced
Water
8 cups
Green onion
Substitutescallion or spring onion
2 stalks
Korean wheat noodles (somyun/guksu)
Substitutethin spaghetti or somen
400 g, fresh knife-cut or rolled

Seasonings

Soy sauce
SubstituteTsuyu (diluted) 4 tsp (2 tsp per 1 tbsp) or Tamari 2 tbsp
2 tbsp
Salt
1 tsp
Black pepper
1/4 tsp

Steps

1Medium heat20 min
Simmer chicken, onion and water 20 minutes to make a light broth. Skim foam.
- Boneless chicken thigh
- Onion
- Water
2Medium heat3 min
Season broth with soy sauce, salt and black pepper. Add zucchini.
- Soy sauce
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Zucchini
3Medium heat7 min
Drop wheat noodles into boiling broth. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring gently.
- Korean wheat noodles (somyun/guksu)
4
Garnish with green onion and serve piping hot.
- Green onion

Storage & reheating

Best eaten immediately. Noodles swell if stored in broth overnight.

Troubleshooting

⚠️ Broth is cloudy
→ Skim foam while simmering; use a gentle simmer not a rolling boil.
⚠️ Noodles stick
→ Stir immediately after adding; use plenty of broth.