Refreshing and Clear Mussel Soup (Honghap Tang)
Super Simple Appetizer Recipe! Homemade Refreshing Mussel Soup
Mussel soup with a deep, refreshing broth is a masterpiece! It’s perfect as a side dish with drinks or as a hangover cure. Try making delicious mussel soup with this easy recipe, perfect even for beginners.
Ingredients- 1 pack fresh mussels (approx. 500g)
- 1/2 stalk of leek
- 1 Korean chili pepper
- 10 whole garlic cloves
- A pinch of salt or soy sauce (for seasoning)
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (like mirin or cheongju)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare all ingredients thoroughly. Fresh mussels are key to the soup’s flavor, so check them carefully.
Step 2
Mussel preparation is important! Remove any tough beards or impurities attached to the mussel shells by scraping with a knife or pulling them off by hand. Discard any mussels with cracked shells, as they might be spoiled and could make the broth cloudy or be unpleasant to eat.
Step 3
Rinse the cleaned mussels several times under running water to thoroughly wash the shell surface until it feels smooth. Thinly slice the whole garlic cloves. Finely mince or thinly slice the Korean chili pepper according to your preference for spiciness. Removing the seeds from the chili pepper will result in a cleaner, more refreshing broth. If leeks are unavailable, green onions can be used. Slice the leek diagonally.
Step 4
Place the cleaned mussels in a pot and add enough water to cover them. Add the sliced garlic, chopped chili pepper, and half of the diagonally sliced leek. Add about two pinches of salt to start seasoning. Be careful not to add too much at once.
Step 5
Add 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, cover the pot, and bring the mussel soup to a boil. Be sure to stay near the stove as mussel soup can easily boil over! Once the mussels begin to open, reduce the heat slightly. Stir the mussels from the bottom to the top to ensure even cooking, especially those near the lid. Skim off any foam that forms during cooking to keep the broth clear and clean. Since mussels expand as they cook and open their shells, it’s best to use a pot that is slightly larger than the volume of ingredients.
Step 6
Finally, taste the broth and add more salt if needed to adjust the seasoning to your liking. You can adjust the amount of water and salt according to your preference. When tasting, also consider the natural saltiness of the mussels.
Step 7
Your refreshing and delicious mussel soup is ready! This recipe is much simpler than you might think. The most crucial factors for a great mussel soup are fresh mussels and meticulous preparation. Soup made with cleanly prepared mussels has a much cleaner taste. Skimming off the foam during cooking is also key to a clear broth. Even with careful preparation, if the mussels aren’t fresh, they can have a fishy smell, so always choose fresh ones. Enjoy this delicious appetizer or hearty hangover soup!
