Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup

Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup

Homemade fresh Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup is made by cooking and blending soybeans; it is then chilled and served with noodles and cucumbers. merely seasoned with salt and sesame seeds. So nutritious and delicious.One of my all-time favorite summertime Korean dishes from my youth is Kongguksu()/Kong Guksoo, or cold soy milk noodle soup. 

Even I, a self-proclaimed “skipping meals is just NOT in my dictionary” kind of food lover, may become lethargic during the particularly hot summers in Korea. But I do recall enjoying these amazing cold noodles as a child in this white, chilly milk-like liquid; it was so energizing and cooling. 

Despite feeling incredibly full, I recall being unable to stop chugging the delicious cold soup. In a cookbook published in the late 1800s that also references noodle soups prepared with soybean milk and sesame seeds, the oldest evidence of Koreans consuming Kongguksu may be found.

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I never really liked soy milk that was available in supermarkets when I was a kid. On the other hand, I have always adored homemade Kongguksu—noodles served with cold soy milk or a broth made of soybeans. In the 1970s, Vegemil  the sole soy milk beverage available in Korea, was a favorite of many—but not of mine. Despite the fact that Vegemil might not be my favorite cup of soy milk, I should nonetheless discuss its history. 

According to the legend, in the late 1960s, a pediatrician by the name of Dr. Chai-won Chung had witnessed numerous Korean infants and kids go hungry as a result of allergies to cow’s milk. Due to their extreme milk sensitivity, some of the newborns even passed away from malnutrition.

Ingredients

▢1 cup dry soybeans

▢1 pkg wheat or buckwheat noodles

▢10 cups water 

▢1/4 cup cucumber (julienned)

▢4 pieces watermelon triangles 

▢sesame seeds

▢1 tsp Sea Salt 

Instructions

1. To properly rehydrate dry soybeans, soak them for three to eight hours. In the event of extreme heat, soak in the refrigerator for the night. Approximately 2 1/2 cups of completely soaked soybeans from 1 cup of dry beans.
2. Soybean rinsing Throw away any floating soybean skins or casings. But it’s not a big concern; you can simply merge everything, including the casings.
3. Put cleaned, rehydrated soybeans in a pot with 4–5 cups of water, and then heat to a boil. Cook is DISCOVERED. Make sure to keep an eye on it to prevent overflow.
4. When it begins to boil, turn down the heat to medium.
5. Until the soybeans are completely cooked, heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Taste it with a few of the beans. When finished, it should still be a little bit crunchy but be totally cooked.
6. After draining, let the cooked soybeans cool.
7. Noodles should be cooked according to the instructions on the package, but slightly underdone. You may use any generic Korean noodle for udon, kalguksu, or jjajangmyeon; I made mine with leftover buckwheat noodles. The soup is thick and substantial, and you need thick, substantial noodles, so avoid using too soft, too thin noodles like somyeon or rice noodles.
   

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8. Julienne cucumbers to be used as a topping while the noodles are cooking. You may also simply use a large spoon to make a few scoops instead of cutting some watermelons into triangles.
9. Cooked soybeans should only be cool enough to handle before being added to a blender along with around 2 cups of cold water. In the blender, it yields around 3 1/2 cups. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, at which point it will become too thick to blend because there won’t be much movement in the blender.
10. Blend again after adding 1 cup of cold water. Once more, blend until little movement is seen, indicating that additional water is needed.
11. Refill the blender with 1 cup of cold water, then blend.
12. Stop here, add 1 1/2 cups of ice, and stir to cool the liquid if you need to serve it right away.
13. Add 1 cup of water and mix once more if you have time to cool. This time, the top ought to have some foam.
14. Before serving, let food cool in the fridge for a few hours.
15. When ready to serve, put the noodles and soy milk in a bowl and mix well. Watermelon and cucumbers make good garnishes.
16. The salt and broken sesame seeds should be added separately at the table after it has been served for the finest flavor. This delicious cold soy milk noodle soup can be spiced to taste by each individual. As a rule of thumb, add about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to 2 cups of soy.

Prompts & Notes

If the kongguksu is not salted sufficiently, the flavor will suffer. To ensure that the salt is evenly distributed throughout the soup, use high-quality salt, add the proper amount (1/4 tsp for every 2 cups of soy milk), and stir the mixture well. For the nutritional analysis of the recipe, I used a 1 tsp sea salt assumption.

Serve with sour kimchi or other side dishes, such as oi muchim (Korean cucumber salad). Korean fried chicken wings would be delicious as well.

In the refrigerator, kongguk or homemade soy milk will remain fresh for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen and used at a later time.