Refreshing Kimchi and Oyster Soup
Oyster Dish, Kimchi Stew Recipe, How to Make Kimchi Oyster Soup, Refreshing and Clean Kimchi Oyster Soup Using Leftover Kimchi Oyster Salad, Using Leftover Ingredients!
I had some leftover kimchi oyster salad from the other day. Since the oysters were raw, I was worried they might spoil if kept for too long, so I decided to repurpose the remaining salad by adding kimchi and simmering it into a delicious Kimchi Oyster Soup. The oyster salad didn’t contain gochujang (red chili paste) and was seasoned only with fish sauce, making it perfect for transforming into a kimchi oyster soup by adding more kimchi. Although this is a dish using leftovers, the broth needs to be rich and flavorful! This Kimchi Oyster Soup is made with a deeply savory broth, offering a spicy yet refreshing taste filled with the aroma of oysters.
Kimchi Oyster Soup Ingredients- Leftover Kimchi Oyster Salad (1 serving)
- Napa Cabbage Kimchi, 1/4 head
- Kimchi Brine, 2 ladles
- Gochugaru (Red Chili Flakes), 1 tsp
- Natural Seafood Broth, 2L
- Chopped Scallions, 2 Tbsp
- Minced Garlic, 1 tsp
- Black Pepper, 1 tsp
- Fish Sauce, 1 Tbsp
Kimchi Oyster Salad Ingredients (for reference)- Raw Oysters, 350g
- Aebaegee Cabbage, 4 leaves
- Scallion, 1/3 stalk
- Garlic Slices, 1 Tbsp
- Gat-kimchi (Mustard Leaf Kimchi), 3 stalks
- Kimchi Seasoning Paste, 1 spoonful
- Kimchi Brine, 1 ladle
- Fish Sauce, 2 Tbsp
- Sesame Oil, 1 tsp
- Toasted Sesame Seeds, 1 tsp
- Sugar, 1 tsp
- Raw Oysters, 350g
- Aebaegee Cabbage, 4 leaves
- Scallion, 1/3 stalk
- Garlic Slices, 1 Tbsp
- Gat-kimchi (Mustard Leaf Kimchi), 3 stalks
- Kimchi Seasoning Paste, 1 spoonful
- Kimchi Brine, 1 ladle
- Fish Sauce, 2 Tbsp
- Sesame Oil, 1 tsp
- Toasted Sesame Seeds, 1 tsp
- Sugar, 1 tsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s make a rich and flavorful seafood broth. Place all broth ingredients, such as dried pollack heads, frozen crab, shrimp shells and heads, shiitake mushroom stems, cabbage cores, and scallion roots, into a broth bag. Pour in 2L of water and simmer gently over medium heat. The reason for using medium heat is to allow the flavors to infuse slowly and deeply. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface during simmering. Once the broth has reached a deep yellowish hue, indicating that the flavors have fully extracted, remove the broth bag and let the broth cool. Cooled broth can be stored in water bottles for convenient use whenever needed. Don’t discard the broth bag; you can reuse it 2-3 more times to make a lighter broth. The lighter broth is perfect for quick dishes like ramen or braised items, while the rich broth is ideal for soups and stews.
Step 2
While the broth is simmering, prepare 1/4 head of napa cabbage kimchi. Finely chop both the leaves and stems. Since this is a soup, chopping it finely will ensure it’s easy to swallow and enjoy.
Step 3
Add 2 ladles of kimchi brine to the chopped kimchi. The kimchi brine will add a nice spicy kick and depth of flavor to the soup.
Step 4
Next, take out the leftover kimchi oyster salad that you made previously. This salad contains ingredients like shredded radish and mustard leaf kimchi, and it will be quite moist from the oysters.
Step 5
Combine the leftover kimchi oyster salad with the chopped kimchi and kimchi brine. Mix everything well. You can taste the mixture at this point and adjust the seasoning with fish sauce if needed, considering the saltiness of the oyster salad. If you’re unsure about the seasoning, it’s also a good strategy to season it after simmering the ingredients with the broth.
Step 6
Bring the prepared seafood broth to a rolling boil. Add all the ingredients from step 4 (kimchi and oyster salad mixture) into the boiling broth at once. If you are concerned about the oysters breaking apart, you can add them later when the soup is already boiling, but since they are already part of a salad, adding them now is perfectly fine. To enhance the color and add a bit of heat, stir in 1 tsp of gochugaru (red chili flakes). Add 1 tsp of black pepper for aroma, 1 tsp of minced garlic, and 2 Tbsp of chopped scallions. Let it boil vigorously. Once it comes to a rolling boil again, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer gently for over 10 minutes. This slow simmering process will result in a deeply flavorful and rich Kimchi Oyster Soup.
Step 7
The colors of all the ingredients have beautifully melded with the broth, making it look even more appetizing. The oysters contribute a refreshing quality to the soup, and thanks to the well-made broth, the Kimchi Oyster Soup is wonderfully spicy and refreshing. A well-prepared broth is the key to any great soup; it’s why I always pay close attention to the broth when making dishes like doenjang jjigae or any other soup. A good broth provides plenty of umami flavor without the need for artificial seasonings.
