Authentic Korean Soup Recipes

Koreans eat soup or stew for every meal, which means they have plenty of variety. A lot of the stews are hearty and spicy and the soups might be clear broth or miso-based. Korean bean sprout soup is refreshing and light. It is healthy because it is low in calories but high in vitamin C. Add some kochukara (Korean red pepper flakes) to liven it up if you like. The following soup recipe, which serves four, is supposedly good for colds and hangovers.

Bean Sprout Soup

What you will need:

6 cups water
3 cups bean sprouts
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 minced cloves garlic
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Chives or green onion, for garnish

How to make it:

Wash the bean sprouts and trim the roots. Saute the garlic in the sesame oil and soy sauce for a few minutes, then add the bean sprouts and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer the broth for half an hour. Add the red pepper five minutes before you take it off the heat. Stir in some chives or scallions and serve.

Korean Kimchi Soup

Another popular soup in Korea is this one and it is hot, spicy and the perfect winter warmer. You can adapt this recipe however you like. Adding mushrooms, zucchini, or potatoes works well. Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made with seasonings and vegetables. There are many kinds but the most common ones are made with green onion, napa cabbage, cucumber, or radish. This is the most common side dish in the country too.

Kimchi from the north of the country are less spicy and less salty than their southern counterparts and they do not contain brined seafood. Southern style kimchi uses lots of chilies, salt, and seafood like fermented anchovy or brined shrimp.

This recipe also calls for gochujang, which is a hot pepper paste, and kochykaru, which is a red pepper powder. If you cannot find these in an Asian food store, you can use any kind of hot sauce and a regular chili powder instead.

This recipe serves four people. If you want to use beef, tenderloin is good. Alternatively, you can use a tougher cut like stewing beef and simmer the soup for a longer time. If you prefer pork, try bacon or belly pork.

What you will need:

2 cups roughly chopped napa cabbage kimchi
3/4 lb sliced pork or beef
1/2 chopped onion
3 cups water
1/2 cubed block tofu
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon kochukaru or red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon gochujang or hot sauce
2 chopped green onions
2 finely chopped cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil

How to make it:

Saute the meat in half the sesame oil for a few minutes. Add the kimchi and stir fry for five minutes. Add the rest of the oil, along with the onion, garlic, gochujang, and kochukara. Add the water and bring the broth to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer. Cook for ten minutes. Add the tofu and cook for fifteen minutes more. Stir in the scallions and serve.

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