Korean · lunch, dinner
Kongguksu (Korean Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup)
Video by Maangchi on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
Contains: Gluten, Egg, Tree nuts, Sesame, Soy. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
The broth is homemade soy milk blended with sesame and pine nuts; with the noodles and egg, each bowl has about 37 g of protein and 8 g of fibre, and it is rich in iron, magnesium and zinc.
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Ingredients 11
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Wash the dried soybeans and soak them in plenty of water for 5 hours to overnight, until doubled in size. Drain. 0:51
- Boil the beans in 2 cups water, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 15 minutes (it foams, so stir now and then). Cover and simmer on very low for 5 minutes, then drain, keeping the cooking water, and let cool. 1:48
- Blend the beans with about ½ cup of their cooking water, 3 cups cold water, the pine nuts and sesame seeds on high for 1–2 minutes until completely smooth. Chill. 4:35
- Cook the somyeon in plenty of boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then rinse well under cold water, rubbing the noodles until cold. Divide between two bowls. 7:16
- Just before serving, stir the salt into the cold soy milk and pour it over the noodles. Top with cucumber, egg, tomato and a few ice cubes if you like. 9:03
Tip. Time excludes the overnight soak. Maangchi serves it with kimchi and cucumber dipped in ssamjang. The soy milk keeps 24 hours in the fridge; salt it just before serving. Skip the egg for a vegan bowl.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 2
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 49%
- Protein 21%
- Fat 30%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Lower-carb idea. About 92% of the 84 g of net carbs come from the somyeon. To cut carbs, try shirataki or zucchini noodles instead, or half the noodles and more vegetables.
One serve has about 72% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Iron High51%
9.2 mg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (57%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Omega-3 High45%
0.7 g a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (87%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Magnesium High39%
162 mg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (55%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Selenium High34%
19 µg a serve, mostly from hard-boiled egg (41%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Zinc High32%
3.6 mg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (33%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin K High28%
33 µg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (60%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin B6 High25%
0.4 mg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (55%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Folate High23%
94 µg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (59%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Potassium Source19%
890 mg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (60%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Calcium Source19%
249 mg a serve, mostly from dried soybeans (42%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin E Source11%
1.7 mg a serve, mostly from pine nuts (47%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin B12 Source11%
0.3 µg a serve, mostly from hard-boiled egg (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Vitamin C Source10%
8.8 mg a serve, mostly from tomato (70%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
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Vitamin A6%
58 µg a serve, mostly from hard-boiled egg (65%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin D3%
0.6 µg a serve, mostly from hard-boiled egg (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Maangchi; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.