This kimchi beef noodle soup recipe is made with your choice of noodles, veggies, and a richly seasoned sesame kimchi broth. Stovetop, Instant Pot and Crock-Pot options included!
When we were living in Barcelona, our flat happened to be a block away from my absolute favorite Korean restaurant in the city. And on cold winter days when I returned home chilled to the bone after walking all around town running errands, their kimchi soups were always some of my favorite ways to warm up. I tended to alternate between soondubu jjigae or yukgaejang or their various Korean ramens — basically anything that came with their richly-flavored kimchi broths. And to say those soups sparked joy would be an understatement. I absolutely loved them.
Well, fast forward to our first winter now living back in the States, and I have to admit I’ve been missing Barcelona and these particular kimchi soups lately something fierce. So I’ve been experimenting with making my own kimchi broths here at home and have recently landed on this one as a favorite. I want to note that it’s just loosely inspired by some of the soups I have tried, so if you’re looking for an authentic recipe for a traditional Korean dish, please turn instead to any of the talented Korean food bloggers out there. But if you’re looking for an incredibly cozy and flavorful soup to try this winter, this broth is loaded up with lots of fresh kimchi, spices, garlic, ginger and sesame. And when slow-cooked with beef until it’s fall-apart-tender, lots of mushrooms (plus the veggies from the kimchi), and your choice of noodles, this soup has quickly become one of my new favorite comfort foods. It’s so cozy and flavorful!
I’ve included options below for how to make this soup using either the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or a simple pot on the stovetop — all great options. Feel free too to add whatever other types of veggies and noodles (or rice!) that you love best here. And if you feel like adding an egg on top, that’s never a bad idea either.
Let’s simmer up a big pot of soup together, friends!
