← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 200 g Dried soybeans
• 3 tbsp pine nuts (or unsalted roasted peanuts)
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus extra to serve
• 1.2 l cold water
• 1½ tsp Salt, or to taste
• 400 g Somyeon (thin wheat noodles)
• 1 Cucumber, cut into thin strips
• 1 Tomato, sliced (optional)
• 1 handful ice cubes

Method

1. Rinse the soybeans and soak them in plenty of cold water for 8 hours or overnight, until doubled in size.
2. Rub the beans between your hands under water so the skins float off, and pour the skins away. This step is optional but gives a smoother, whiter soy milk.
3. Boil the beans in fresh water for 10–12 min, until cooked but still a little firm. Drain and rinse in cold water.
4. Blend the beans with the pine nuts, sesame seeds and half the cold water until completely smooth, then blend in the rest of the water. Strain through a fine sieve for a silkier soup if you like. Chill well.
5. Cook the noodles for 3–4 min, then drain and rinse under cold running water, rubbing them with your hands to wash off the starch. Drain well.
6. Put the noodles in bowls, pour over the cold soy milk and top with cucumber, tomato, a few ice cubes and sesame seeds. Everyone salts their own bowl at the table.

Tips

• Taste a bean after 10 min: undercooked beans taste grassy, overcooked ones taste like fermented paste.
• Contains soy and nuts. Shortcut: blend 300 g tofu with 360 ml unsweetened soy milk and the nuts.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Kimchimari Beyond Kimchee