There’s certain dishes that you have at very specific times in the year. There’s turkey on Thanksgiving, hot soups in cold winter months, and there’s also kongguksu in the summer time. Kongguksu is a very traditional soy milk based cold noodle dish that is immensely popular in Korea each summer. With temperatures having reached record highs in many places this year, kongguksu is just what you need to feel satiated and refreshed. You can enjoy this kongguksu recipe alone or you can include a side of traditional Korean kimchi.
Read more to learn how to make this extremely simple meal that only includes 5 ingredients: soy beans, pasta noodles, peanut butter, egg, and cucumber.
The Benefits of Kongguksu
Though there is no meat in this dish, it is still a packed, protein-rich dish from the soybeans so it is an excellent option for vegetarians and vegans who may be interested in finding more protein rich foods. Soybeans are a complete protein which means it contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for the body. This is vital to increase muscle repair, enzyme production, and hormone synthesis.
Soybeans also contain iron, an essential component of hemoglobin, responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. Additionally, they provide B-vitamins like folate, thiamin, and vitamin B6 which plays a vital role in energy production and metabolism. So if you have been feeling sluggish, getting a vitamin panel done at the doctor’s office might reveal whether or not you have a vitamin B deficiency.
Kongguksu is a versatile dish that offers a range of health benefits, making it a valuable addition to any balanced diet. It showcases the culinary art of using soybeans in Korean cuisine and provides a delightful combination of taste and nutrition for food enthusiasts.
Before checking out the kongguksu recipe below, look at this video that documents the process (in double time speed!)
Korean Kongguksu Soy Milk Cold Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups soybeans raw, unsalted, plain
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 servings spinach flat noodles fresh kalguksu noodles (found at an Asian grocery store or on Amazon)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter no salt added, organic
- salt to taste
- water
Instructions
- Soak 2 cups of soybeans in water for 4-5 hours. Let sit.
- After this has been soaking, drain the water out from the soybeans and add 1 tsp salt.
- Transfer the soybeans to a pot with water and just cover the soybeans to the top (around 1 3/4 cups).
- As soon as this boils, turn off and cover the pot for 10 minutes.
- Rinse the soybeans with cold water and set aside.
- In the meantime, crack 1 egg and separate the egg yolk and whites. Mix a few drops of water with the cracked egg yolk and cook each separately.
- Julienne cut the egg white and egg yolk and set aside as a garnish. An alternative to this julienne cut style is soft boiling an egg without separating the yolk and whites and cutting the egg in half and adding that on top of the noodles once complete.
- Julienne cut 1/2 cucumber and set aside as a garnish.
- Next, boil water to cook the noodles for a few minutes.
- Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop from cooking more. Remember this is a cold dish so the colder the better!
- Now let's finish the actual soy milk "broth" by placing the soybeans in a blender and covering loosely with water.
- Add in 1 1/2-2 tbsp of peanut butter (depending on which brand this can vary). Add salt and blend.
- Test the consistency as it shouldn't be "soup" it should be a thicker "smoothie" texture. You can check out the social video above to see what the consistency should be like as you pour the soy milk into the bowl of noodles.
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