Nutritious Pollack and Potato Soup
Making a Simple and Refreshing Pollack and Potato Soup
This morning, at 8 AM, I prepared and photographed this dish. I often find myself rushing to post recipes late at night, and then later realize I’ve missed something or haven’t proofread properly. Today, I decided to bring my laptop to a Starbucks to work. It’s a public holiday, but since no one else is home, I felt like I’d just be glued to the TV remote. Coming out for a morning coffee is so pleasant; the aroma is wonderful! Hehe… ^^ Last time, I made a seasoned dried pollack salad, and my partner enjoyed some of it as a snack, air-fried with beer. I had a little bit of dried pollack left, just enough to make this comforting soup. Let’s make this nourishing pollack and potato soup together!
Ingredients
- Dried pollack (hwangtaechae) 2 handfuls (approx. 30-40g)
- Potatoes 1.5 medium
- Egg 1
- Onion 0.5 medium
- Red chili pepper 0.5 (seeds removed)
- Scallions, a generous amount
- Sesame oil 2 Tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) 2/3 Tbsp
- Salt 1 tsp
- Black pepper, a pinch
- Water or rice water, as needed (approx. 1L)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the dried pollack. Since dried pollack can be a bit tough, soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes until it becomes soft and pliable. Don’t discard the soaking water! We’ll use it later as a flavorful broth base.
Step 2
While the pollack is soaking, prepare the vegetables for the soup. Peel the 1.5 potatoes and slice them into thin, flat rounds, about 0.7cm thick. Slice half an onion or dice it roughly. Remove the seeds from half a red chili pepper and slice it thinly (if you’re serving this to children or prefer less spice, you can substitute with thinly sliced carrots). Chop the scallions.
Step 3
Now, let’s start sautéing. Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a pot over medium heat.
Step 4
Gently squeeze out the excess water from the soaked dried pollack and add it to the hot sesame oil in the pot. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pollack plumps up and absorbs the oil. This step enhances the pollack’s flavor.
Step 5
Season the pollack. Add 2/3 tablespoon of soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) and stir-fry with the pollack. Since soup soy sauce can darken the color, it’s best to add just a little at this stage and adjust the final seasoning with salt later.
Step 6
Remember the pollack soaking water? Strain it through a sieve to remove any sediment and pour the clear liquid into the pot. If the pollack soaking water isn’t enough, add more plain water or rice water to reach a total of about 1 liter of liquid.
Step 7
Add the sliced potatoes and onions to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat until the potatoes are tender.
Step 8
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface during simmering for a cleaner broth. (Sesame oil can sometimes cause foam.)
Step 9
Check if the potatoes are tender by piercing them with a fork. Once they are cooked, crack one egg into a small bowl, beat it lightly, and then slowly drizzle it into the simmering soup in a circular motion. Avoid stirring immediately; let the egg cook undisturbed to create beautiful ribbons.
Step 10
As the egg begins to set, add the sliced red chili pepper and scallions. For the final seasoning, use salt (1 teaspoon) to adjust the taste to your preference, rather than relying solely on soup soy sauce. Add a pinch of black pepper for extra aroma, if desired.
Step 11
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper as needed to suit your palate. Your warm and nutritious Pollack and Potato Soup is now ready to be enjoyed!
