Kong-guksu (콩국수 (Kong-guksu))
Overview
Kong-guksu is a Korean summer dish of wheat noodles in a chilled soy milk soup. Dried soybeans are soaked overnight, boiled briefly and skinned, then blended with water and toasted sesame or nuts into a thick, nutty, ivory-coloured milk. The soup is chilled until icy cold and seasoned with salt. Thin wheat noodles are cooked, rinsed in cold water and placed in bowls, the cold soy soup is poured over, and the bowls are topped with fine strips of cucumber, sesame seeds and sometimes tomato or a boiled egg. In the south-west region of Jeolla it is often sweetened with sugar.
History
A Korean cookbook of the late nineteenth century, the Siui jeonseo, already mentions noodles in soybean soup, so the dish is at least that old. It was a way for farming families to eat protein from soybeans in the hottest months, and it is still eaten mostly in summer, when many restaurants add it to the menu. Whether to season it with salt or sugar is a well-known argument between regions.
Main ingredients
Soybeans, wheat noodles, cucumber, sesame seeds, salt, ice. The soup is built on cold soy milk and is usually served cold. Diet: vegan; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Noodle soups · Cucumber soups · More soups from South Korea
Recipe
Method
- 18 min
Boil the soaked soybeans for 8 minutes, then rinse in cold water and rub off the skins.
- 2
Blend the beans with the sesame and the water until very smooth, then strain if you like.
- 3
Season with salt and chill well.
- 4
Cook the noodles, rinse them in cold water and put them in bowls.
- 5
Pour over the cold soy soup, add ice and top with cucumber and sesame.
- ✓
Serve. About 50 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
