Kongguksu with English Peas & Melon

When my mom was a young bride, she made kongguksu or cold Korean soy noodles at home for my dad. Recipes must not have been written well back then because when my dad leaned in to take a bite, he noticed (to my mom’s horror) that her homemade soy milk smelled raw! But to appease his new wife, he quickly ate up the whole bowl and told her it was delicious. 😅

Traditionally eaten in the summertime when it’s blazing hot outside, the cold, savory homemade soy milk really hits the spot, especially when combined with ice cubes, thin wheat noodles, and sliced cucumbers.

My special recipe uses English peas which were in season and looked beautiful when I was at the market! I would also recommend using fava beans or just regular frozen peas would be fine too.

The ultimate twist on my kongguksu recipe is the addition of chilled (not frozen) melon. I tried both watermelon and sweet honeydew and found that they were both delicious!

Kongguksu with English Peas & Melon (4 servings)

• 1/2 cup of dried soy beans, soaked overnight
• Handful of English peas, shelled
• Fat pinch of sesame seeds
• Fat pinch of pine nuts
• Salt
• 4 bunches of somyeon or Korean wheat noodles
• Cucumbers, sliced for garnish
• Any ripe melon like honeydew, cantaloupe, or watermelon

Prep the beans. Rinse the soaked soy beans in water and drain. In a pot, bring water to a boil and add soy beans, cooking gently at a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Don’t overcook them! Taste after 10 minutes and drain when they’re soft and sweet. Save 1/2 cup of the boiled bean water! Shell and blanch the English peas for about 60 seconds.

Make soy milk. In a blender, combine the soy beans, English peas, 1/2 cup of bean water, 3.5 cups of cold water, sesame seeds, and pine nuts. Blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Prepare and assemble. Cook wheat noodles according to package, 2-3 minutes. Rinse with cold water and let drain before bundling noodles into single servings. Season cold soy milk with salt to taste just before serving. If desired, shake or stir the soy milk with ice cubes to get it super chill! Pour over noodles, garnish with julienne cucumber, and drop in chilled melon balls. Sprinkle with crushed sesame seeds and enjoy your kongguksu with alternating bites of kimchi!