RECIPE
SOY BEAN NOODLES
from Grace K. Anderson of Irvine, CA
This is one of my favorite and very easy summer meals I remember from my mother. It is a cold soy bean soup based noodle dish garnished with cucumbers and sesame seeds. It's great to have with kimchi or a spicy sauce like Siracha sauce. The star in this dish is roasted sesame seeds. I like to roast my own sesame seeds on the stove top in a wide pan under medium heat, stirring the seeds until they get golden. The nutty smell and the crackling of the seeds are one of my favorite smells and sounds.
1 cup soy beans soaked overnight
2 cups of water to 1 cup of soaked soy beans
1/3 cup roasted sesame seeds
salt to taste
3 to 4 bundles of somen noodles (these are thin white Japanese noodles made of wheat flour)
1 cucumber, thinly julienned
sesame seeds for garnish
In a blender, add two cups of water to 1 cup of soaked soy beans, roasted sesame seeds and salt. Blend until smooth. Add the blended soup in a pot and bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Cool and keep in the refrigerator until chilled. Sometimes I will prepare this the night before. The noodles take only a few minutes to boil. Drain and rinse in cold water until the noodles are cool. In a bowl, add the noodles and soup and, then add cucumber and roasted sesame seeds on top for garnish.
Serves 4 to 6
