This Cucumber Noodles with Soy Milk Soup is a lighter and healthier twist on the traditional Kongguksu.
As you know, I’ve been playing around with Cucumber Noodles, trying out different sauces and pairings with it like Creamy Cucumber Noodles, Spicy Cucumber Noodles, and Chicken & Cucumber Salad. So far, it has been such a great way to trick my brain and make me think I’m eating actual noodles!
For this recipe, I tried a bold twist on the traditional Kongguksu and used cucumber instead of somen noodles. Cucumber is the usual garnish to Kongguksu, so I knew it would go well with the soy milk soup. As it turns out, it was a surprisingly crunchy, refreshing, and delightful dish.
The soy milk broth is traditionally made from scratch with fresh or dried soybeans, but blending tofu and milk does the job. This version is quicker but equally creamy and delicious without the extra work. Combine it with cuckes? Nutritious and refreshing!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s no-cook and done in 15 minutes, a perfect summertime dish that can quickly cool you down!
- It’s low in carbs and high in protein, which you can have as a meal, side dish, or a snack. Super easy to include in your diet!
- I simply love the perfect harmony of the creamy, sweet, savory, and nutty components of the dish. I hope you enjoy this just as I did!
Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Cucumber – Use English or Asian Cucumber (if available) so there are fewer seeds, thus they are less watery. I like to shred my noodles into long strands using a mandolin or julienne peeler. The longer noodle strands, the better!
- Tofu – Freshly manufactured is best for the recipe so you can ensure there is no funky smell, rather a light and creamy flavor only.
- Milk – This aids the tofu to turn it into a milky and creamy soup. You can also use soy milk so it’s richer and vegetarian.
- Water – To help thin out the soup.
- Roasted Peanuts – This adds a nice nutty flavor that complements the soy milk. You can also use other nuts like pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds.
- Peanut Butter – Likewise, this adds nuttiness to the soup, but I use peanut butter for a richer flavor but less chunks from the peanuts. We want the soup to be as smooth as possible.
- Roasted Sesame Seeds – This will also add nuttiness to the soup. Roasted is a must!
- Allulose – I used this as my choice of sweetener to keep the soup low in calories, but you can use any sweetener you prefer. This will bring out the creamy sweet flavor of the tofu.
- Salt – Like the sugar, the salt will bring out the savor of the ingredients, bringing balance to all the creaminess and richness of the soup.
How to Make Cucumber Noodle with Soy Milk Soup?
Prepare the Cucumber
Using a mandolin or julienne peeler, shred the cucumber into long strands. Do not include the seeds.
Place shredded cucumber in a bowl, add salt, and mix it well. Leave this for 5-10 minutes, then lightly squeeze and drain.
Prepare the Soy Milk Soup
In a blender, combine tofu, milk, water, roasted peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, allulose, and salt. Blend this until smooth.
Combine the Ingredients
Pour the soup into a bowl, then place the cucumber noodles in the middle. Garnish this with sesame seeds and sliced cherry tomatoes. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Salting the cucumber will draw out water from it. This is an important step to prevent the dish from turning soggy.
- The key to the recipe is to use roasted peanuts and sesame seeds, which is where all the soup will get all that light savor and richness from.
- Blend the soy milk soup until smooth for the best result of the dish.
- You can still add somen or soba noodles to the dish! Making this part noodles and part cucumber simply makes it easier to lessen noodle cravings if you’re being mindful about what you eat.
Serving and Storage
To serve, you can add a few ice cubes to the soup so it becomes super refreshing. However, you need to consume this right away to keep it from watering down.
This dish can be served on its own with some hard-boiled egg and kimchi for a spicy contrast, but this can also be a light side dish that can be shared with family and friends.
I highly recommend finishing this right away as the combined cucumber and soup may turn soggy when refrigerated. Nevertheless, you can make the sauce in advance and store it in the fridge for 24 hours.
Other cold noodle recipes you might like:
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Cold Cucumber Noodle with Soy Milk Soup
Ingredients
- 300 grams Shredded Cucumber
- 250 grams Tofu
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 tbsp Peanut Butter
- 1 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
- 2 tbsp Roasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 tbsp Allulose
- 1/2 tbsp Salt
Instructions
- Shred the cucumber into long strands using a mandolin or julienne peeler. Do not include the seeds.
- Add salt to the cucumber and leave for 5-10 minutes.
- Lightly squeeze, then drain the excess water.
- In a blender, combine tofu, milk, water, roasted peanuts, peanut butter, roasted sesame seeds, allulose or sugar, and salt.
- Blend the mixture all together until smooth and thick.
- Pour the soy milk soup into a bowl, then place the cucumber in the middle.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced cherry tomatoes. Add ice cubes to the soup or serve this chilled, and enjoy.
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