Clear and Refreshing Bean Sprout Soup (Kongnamul Guk)
The Ultimate Golden Recipe for Deliciously Clear Bean Sprout Soup
Let’s make a wonderfully clear and refreshing bean sprout soup.
Ingredients- 200g fresh bean sprouts
- 1 sheet dried kelp (approx. 10x10cm)
- 3 dried anchovies (for broth)
- 1 Tbsp anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot)
- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 red chili pepper
- 1/2 stalk green onion
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Begin by pouring about 1.2L of water into a pot. Add the dried anchovies and kelp to create a flavorful broth. For a cleaner taste, remove the innards from the anchovies. It’s important to remove the kelp once the water starts to boil to prevent the broth from becoming cloudy.
Step 2
Carefully strain out the anchovies and kelp from the broth. Pour the clear broth into another pot. Add the thoroughly rinsed bean sprouts to this clear broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. The bean sprouts will release their flavor as they cook.
Step 3
After simmering the bean sprouts for about 7 minutes until they are crisp-tender, add the anchovy sauce, soup soy sauce, and minced garlic to enhance the umami. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt according to your preference. Finally, add the chopped green onion and thinly sliced red chili pepper, and simmer for another minute. Your refreshing and subtly spicy bean sprout soup is now ready.
Step 4
Ladle the finished bean sprout soup into individual serving bowls while it’s warm. Garnish beautifully for a pleasant presentation. Enjoy it as a satisfying meal with rice, or as a perfect hangover cure.
