Korean Kongguksu Soy Milk Noodles

Ingredients

• 8 oz thin wheat noodles
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
• 7 oz firm tofu
• 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds, plus more to serve
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or blanched almonds
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Steps

1. Blend the soy milk, tofu, sesame seeds, pine nuts, and salt on high for a full 2 minutes, until absolutely smooth with no grit at all.
2. Blend it far longer than seems necessary. Any residual grittiness from the sesame or nuts is immediately obvious in a cold, unseasoned broth like this one.
3. Add the ice cubes and blend again for 30 seconds. The broth must be properly cold, not merely chilled, and the ice both cools and thins it.
4. Taste and add more salt. Kongguksu is deliberately understated but it tastes of nothing at all if under-salted, so season it more assertively than you expect.
5. Refrigerate the broth while you cook the noodles.
6. Cook the noodles according to the package, then drain and rinse them under cold running water, rubbing with your hands until they squeak and are completely cold.
7. Rinsing away the surface starch is what stops the strands clumping and clouding the pale broth.
8. Divide the noodles between two chilled bowls, pour the cold broth over, and top with the cucumber, tomato, extra sesame seeds, and a drop of sesame oil.

Allergen note: Contains gluten, soy, sesame, and tree nuts.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.