Kongguksu (콩국수) – Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup

Koreans eat kongguksu in high summer: thin wheat noodles in an ice-cold broth of blended soybeans. You soak dried yellow soybeans overnight, boil them for 10 minutes and blend them with cold water and toasted sesame. The broth tastes nutty and mild. You add salt at the table; in Jeolla Province many guests sprinkle sugar over it instead.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

1 Stdtotal

4servings

620kcal

KoreanCuisine ›

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The cooking time of the beans decides the flavor. After 10 minutes they no longer taste raw. If you cook them for 20 minutes, the broth takes on a note of soybean paste. After cooling them in cold water, you rub off the skins between your hands, then blend a velvety broth. Chill it for at least 30 minutes and rinse the noodles ice cold so they stay firm.

A cold noodle soup with beef broth you cook following the recipe for Mul-Naengmyeon. The same somyeon noodles in warm anchovy broth are in Janchi Guksu. You blend soy milk for drinking with the instructions for Dou Jiang.

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Kongguksu (콩국수) – Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup

Name: Kongguksu (콩국수) – Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 200 g dried yellow soybeans, soaked overnight; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 1 tbsp pine nuts; 900 ml cold water; 1 tsp salt; 400 g somyeon (thin wheat noodles); 1 cucumber; 2 eggs, boiled for 9 minutes; 8 cherry tomatoes; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish; 12 ice cubes

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

45 minutes

Cook time

15 minutes

Calories

620

Cuisine

Korean

Ingredients

For the broth:

200 g dried yellow soybeans, soaked overnight
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp pine nuts
900 ml cold water
1 tsp salt

For the noodles and topping:

400 g somyeon (thin wheat noodles)
1 cucumber
2 eggs, boiled for 9 minutes
8 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish
12 ice cubes

Instructions

Pour off the soaking water from the soybeans. Cover the beans with fresh water in a pot and bring it to a boil.
Let the beans boil uncovered for 10 minutes. Skim off the foam.
Drain the beans and cool them in a bowl of cold water. Rub the beans between your hands and pour off the skins floating on top.
Put the beans, sesame, pine nuts and 900 ml cold water in the blender. Blend everything for 2 minutes, until the broth is smooth. Stir in 1 tsp salt.
Chill the broth in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. It thickens as it chills; then add a little water.
Cut the cucumber into fine sticks and halve the eggs and tomatoes.
Cook the somyeon for 3 to 4 minutes following the package directions. Drain them and rinse them under cold water until they stop sticking.
Divide the noodles among four bowls, pour the broth over them and add 3 ice cubes to each.
Put cucumber, egg and tomato on top and scatter sesame over it. Put salt and sugar on the table for seasoning.

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Kongguksu (콩국수) – Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup

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Kongguksu (콩국수) – Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup

Ingredients

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For the noodles and topping:

Instructions

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