Korean Spicy Octopus Noodle Bowls
Spicy baby octopus is stir-fried with veggies and served with chilled noodles and seasoned soybean sprouts. Use as little or as much of the sauce to coat your noodles. This dish packs a punch!
Servings: 2
Ingredients
For the Soybean Sprouts:
- 8 oz Korean Soybean Sprouts (Kongnamul / 콩나물)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced on bias
- 1-2 tsp sesame oil
- Salt to taste
- Sesame seeds for garnish
For the Spicy Octopus Stir Fry + Noodle Bowls:
- Vegetable oil, for cooking
- ½ onion, cut into ½-inch slices
- ¼ head of green cabbage, cored and chopped into bite sized slices, ½-inch thick
- 1 medium carrot (or half of a large one), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on a bias
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 350g package of Spicy Baby Octopus Mix from Happy Table
- 3 tsp sesame oil, divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 7 oz somen noodles
- Shredded roasted seasoned seaweed
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias for garnish
- Sesame seeds for garnish, optional
- 2 eggs, fried, for topping
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring a pot of water to a boil (do not salt the water). Add the beansprouts and cook for about 2 minutes on a boil. Fish them out of the water with a skimmer or tongs and rinse in cold water. Do not discard the water (you will use it again for the somen noodles). To the beansprouts, add the sesame oil, garlic, scallion, sesame seeds, and salt to taste. Mix well to incorporate seasoning. Set aside.
- In the same pot, add the somen noodles. Cook according to the package instructions, but they usually take 2 minutes on a boil. Drain and rinse well in cold water to prevent overcooking. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, toss, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with a little vegetable oil and fry the eggs until set, but yolks are still runny. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan, add a little more vegetable oil and heat over medium high. Add the vegetables and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Once softened, add the octopus with sauce as well as most of the scallions (hold some back for garnishing at the end). Coat the vegetables with the sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes on high. Do not overcook the octopus or it will get tough. Turn off heat and add the last 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Toss to incorporate. Garnish with leftover scallions and sesame seeds if desired. To serve, add noodles, beansprouts, shredded roasted seaweed, and as much of the octopus mix as desired in a bowl. You will probably have some leftover. Top with a fried egg and garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.