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Kongguksu (Korean Chilled Soy Milk Noodles)

Kongguksu is what Korea eats in the worst of the summer heat: thin wheat noodles sitting in a chilled, unsweetened soy bean broth, served so cold there are ice cubes floating in it. It is nutty, savoury and almost completely plain.

Everything rests on the broth, so blend it longer than feels necessary and chill it properly. Season at the table too; many households put the salt on the table rather than in the bowl.

Servings
4
Prep Time
20
mins
Cook Time
10
mins
Ingredients
10
Total Time
30
mins

Pantry bits

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Ingredients

  • 200g dried soy beans
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts or 2 tbsp raw cashews
  • 750ml cold water
  • 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste
  • 400g somyeon (thin wheat noodles)
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into fine matchsticks
  • 1 tomato, cut into wedges
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, extra
  • Ice cubes, to serve

Instructions

  1. Soak the soy beans in plenty of cold water overnight until swollen to twice their size.
  2. Drain, cover with fresh water and boil for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook them: too long and the broth turns chalky and smells beany.
  3. Drain and rub the beans between your palms under cold water to slip off the skins. Discard the skins.
  4. Blend the beans with the sesame seeds, pine nuts and cold water for a full 2 minutes until completely smooth and milky. Season with salt and chill thoroughly.
  5. Cook the somyeon for 3 minutes, then rinse hard under cold running water, rubbing the noodles to remove the starch, and drain well.
  6. Pile the noodles into bowls, pour the cold soy broth over, top with cucumber, tomato, the extra sesame seeds and a couple of ice cubes.

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