Kong Guksu (Soy Milk Noodle Soup)
This is THE dish of the summer! It’s refreshing, cooling, and packed with protein that you don’t even have to chew!
I discovered 콩국수 (kong-guksu) on my first trip to Korea this summer. As a Taiwanese gal who grew drinking soy milk for breakfast, this dish blew my mind! It’s basically noodles soaked in soy milk, but the soy milk is thicker and creamier than your typical soy milk beverage because it’s blended with sesame seeds and, sometimes, actual milk! I ordered it at every single restaurant I went that served it in Korea, thinking I would never get to eat it once I return to the states. But then I stumbled upon a recipe from the Culinary Wars Judge, Paik Jong Won, who cut down all the stress work with soy beans by simply using… TOFU!! I immediately tried it out, tweaked it to make it even creamier and substituted alternative ingredients for my kids with peanut allergies, and the end result… was incredible! This dish not only cools you off from the summer heat, but it keeps you SERIOUSLY full from all the protein!
Ingredients:
1 block of soft tofu
3 tbsp of sesame seeds
2 tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 tbsp of salt (start light, then sprinkle more to your taste)
1 cup of milk + 1/2 cup of heavy cream (or you can do 1 and 1/2 cup of milk, or even just 1 and 1/2 cup of water - I just like it really creamy)
1 tbsp of almond butter
100 g of flour noodles, cooked
thin slices of cucumbers and cherry tomatoes as topping
ice cubes
Equipments:
Large blender or immersion blender
Small pot for boiling noodles
Knife and cutting board for chopping toppings
Instructions:
Break up your tofu with your hands before putting it into the blender
Blend with sesame seeds, sugar, salt, milk & heavy cream (or just water if omitting dairy,) and almond butter
Taste the broth and sprinkle in more salt if desired
Boil noodles then immediately cool off in ice bath to keep it bouncy and chewy, drain
Plate your dish: noodles, soy milk broth, ice cubes, and toppings
Enjoy!
