Kongguksu Recipe: How to Make Korean Soy Milk Noodle Soup

Kongguksu is a Korean dish consisting of thin wheat noodles in a savory soy milk broth. Typical garnishes include cooked egg, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and a few ice cubes to keep the broth cool (which is especially beneficial on hot days).

While you can use unsweetened store-bought soy milk for kongguksu, a homemade batch makes this cold soy milk noodle soup sing. Luckily, it’s easy to make and customize to your taste.

1. 1. Soak the beans. Place one cup of dried soybeans (either yellow or black) in a large pot. Cover the beans with cold water and let them soak overnight.
2. 2. Boil the beans. Drain the soaked soybeans in the morning and place them in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the beans and bring them to a boil. Cook the beans for five minutes, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for five more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and let the beans cool.
3. 3. Blend the beans. Transfer the cooked soybeans and their cooking liquid to a high-speed blender. Add one cup of cold water, half a cup of pine nuts, and a quarter-cup of toasted sesame seeds. Blend until the mixture is very smooth, adding more cold water as needed.
4. 4. Strain the soymilk. Pass the milk through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pitcher. Store the pitcher in the refrigerator until the milk is cold, about one hour.

Kongguksu is a simple dish that relies on a few key ingredients, from snappy, delicate Korean noodles to a nutty soy broth. Here’s what to know:

1. 1. Use the right noodles. Kongguksu features thin, wheat flour noodles called somyeon. You can find them—and their Japanese counterpart, somen noodles—in Asian grocery stores.
2. 2. Add nuts or seeds to the soy milk mixture for an extra nutty flavor. Many recipes for kongguksu call for adding a variety of secondary ingredients to the soy milk, such as peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, or sesame seeds. These extra ingredients add body and complex flavor to the broth but skip the nuts if you’re cooking for someone with an allergy.
3. 3. Rinse the cooked noodles. After boiling, rinse the cooked noodles under cold water in a colander to stop the cooking process. Run your fingers through the noodles to prevent clumping and drain them well.
4. 4. Serve kongguksu with banchan (side dishes). A bright and acidic side dish is a welcome balance to the cool, creamy notes of kongguksu. Try kimchi or jangajji (soy sauce pickles).