Easy Kimchi Sujebi by My Korean Mom: My Soul Food

This is my Korean mom’s spicy and flavorful Kimchi Sujebi recipe. I will show you how to make this rich and umami-packed kimchi soup Soojebi using only kimchi, without any extra ingredients. This is my soul food that my mom used to make.

What is Sujebi? 수제비

Sujebi is a Korean dish made by tearing wheat flour dough by hand into thin pieces and cooking them in boiling soup. You could loosely translate it as “hand-pulled noodles,” but because the pieces are thin, wide, and round, it’s not quite accurate to call it a noodle dish. It’s more like a thinner version of Italian gnocchi. For this reason, it’s best to just call it soojebi.

Sujebi is a popular comfort food in Korea, often enjoyed alongside kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). Sometimes additional ingredients like zucchini, potatoes, or onions are added. Today’s recipe is kimchi soojebi, which can be made with just kimchi—no extra ingredients needed. Along with potato soojebi, kimchi soojebi is one of the most commonly eaten soojebi dishes in Korean households, and many Koreans consider it a true soul food. For me, it’s also a soul food made with my mom’s love, something she often prepared when I was growing up. Just one bowl of this kimchi soojebi somehow gives you a boost of energy.

History

Today, sujebi is considered a classic Korean comfort food for everyone, but back in the Joseon Dynasty, wheat flour was rare, so soojebi was a luxury dish enjoyed by the yangban (Korean aristocracy) and in royal courts. Ordinary people at the time made soojebi using buckwheat or barley instead.

Wheat flour soojebi became widely popular only after the Korean War. Korea received wheat flour as aid from the United States, and with the government’s campaign promoting mixed flour meals, wheat-based dishes like soojebi became everyday food for ordinary people. Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) is another dish that gained popularity in the same way.

Sujebi Recipe Tips

• Resting the dough: Sujebi dough needs to rest before cooking. Resting allows the gluten to develop, giving the soojebi a chewier and more satisfying texture. I recommend resting the dough for at least 30 minutes, but I personally let it rest for 2 hours. Any leftover dough can be used the next day, and by then it will be even more flavorful.

• Potato starch: Adding potato starch helps the dough hold its shape in the soup and gives it a pleasantly chewy texture.

Ingredients

• Seafood stock: Sujebi comes in many varieties, but using a seafood-based stock is the most common. You can make it with dried anchovies, dashida, or dried shrimp, or use convenient stock cubes like I do.

• Vegetables: Zucchini, carrots, onions, and potatoes are often added. For kimchi soojebi like today, kimchi alone is enough, but adding zucchini or potatoes makes it even more delicious.

• Gochujang (Korean chili paste): Some spicy soojebi recipes include gochujang. For today’s clean and flavorful kimchi soojebi, I didn’t use any.

When to Eat?

For Koreans, sujebi is often considered a simple and convenient meal. People usually eat it on days when they don’t feel like cooking or want a quick lunch. Eating soojebi on rainy days is also a beloved part of Korean food culture.

Sujebi Menus

Besides Kimchi Sujebi, there are many types of sujebi in Korea.

• Potato Soojebi (Gamja Soojebi): One of the most common homemade soojebi. It’s made with everyday ingredients like flour, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and onions. The broth is easy to prepare using dried anchovies, kelp, dried shrimp, or a convenient stock cube, and seasoned simply with soy sauce. This is the signature menu at Samcheong dong sujebi.
• Perilla Seed(Deulkkae) Soojebi: Similar to potato soojebi, but perilla seed powder is added to the broth, giving it a thick, nutty, and rich flavor. It’s deeply savory and very delicious.

• Clam(Bajirak) Soojebi: Clams are more affordable in Korea than in Europe, so many dishes include them. The broth is made with plenty of clams, giving the soup a full, ocean-like flavor.
• Kkaljebi: A combination of kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and soojebi. Perfect for those who can’t choose between the two, offering the best of both worlds in one bowl.

Best Side Dishes with Sujebi

• Kimchi: Soojebi is always best enjoyed with kimchi. While aged kimchi works well, freshly seasoned kimchi (geotjeori) pairs especially nicely, similar to how it complements kalguksu.

• Dumplings (Mandu): In Korea, it’s common to enjoy dumplings alongside noodles or soojebi. Since soojebi is considered a light meal rather than a hearty one, adding dumplings makes the meal more satisfying. You get extra protein, and taking a bite of juicy dumpling followed by a spoonful of soojebi broth is pure comfort.
• Korean Pancake (Jeon): Many noodle restaurants in Korea also serve savory pancakes as a side dish. Ordering one alongside sujebi helps make the meal feel more filling and complete.

Kitchen Guide

• Ttukbaegi: US l UK

Disclosure: Blonde Kimchi is part of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that allows websites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and promoting products.