Recipe by David Chang
"I love eating cold noodles. When I was a kid traveling around to play golf tournaments with my dad, sometimes we’d stop after matches for mul-naengmyeon — cold buckwheat noodles in beef broth. Kongguksu is another chilled noodle soup I love, and it happens to be vegan. Full disclosure: I was a little worried about serving this one. I never want our guests to feel uncomfortable about what I serve them, and few non-Koreans are accustomed to eating cold noodles in soy milk. But I think the deliciousness of kongguksu is undeniable. Hopefully they like it."
Kongguksu
- Somen noodles, cooked, strained, and rinsed in cold water
- 1 quart dried soybeans
- Salt
- Sugar
- MSG
Garnishes
- Cucumbers, sliced into batons
- Shiso oil
- Cherry tomatoes, peeled and dehydrated at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2 hours
Add the soybeans to a saucepan and cover with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. As the beans simmer, some of the shells will rise to the surface, along with a good deal of foam. Keep a close eye to avoid spillage. Allow to cool, then transfer the beans and water into a blender.
Blend until smooth, then pass through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois. If it looks more like cream than milk, thin it out with a bit of water. Skim off any foam, then season to taste with salt, MSG, and sugar. You don’t want it to be overwhelmingly savory or sweet, so just season enough to enhance the flavor of the soybeans and to make the milk a bit savory. (Keep in mind that cold broth takes more seasoning than warm.) Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Add the noodles to bowls and top with soy milk. Garnish with cucumbers, tomatoes, and a little drizzle of shiso oil.
Shiso Oil
- 10–15 shiso leaves
- 5 Tbsp grapeseed oil
- Roughly chop the shiso leaves.
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