Spicy and Refreshing Fish Cake Soup (Eomuk Tang)
Spicy and Refreshing Fish Cake Soup: The Perfect Harmony of a Pungent and Deep Broth
This is an easy and simple recipe for a spicy fish cake soup. It’s the perfect dish to enjoy on a rainy day with its refreshing and zesty broth. The incredible flavor will make it your go-to comfort food and hangover cure. It’s so simple, even beginners can follow along easily.
Main Ingredients- 3 sheets of square fish cakes (eomuk)
- 5 leaves of baby napa cabbage
- 200g of Korean radish (mu)
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 stalk of green onion
- 1 cheongyang pepper (hot chili pepper)
- 1 red chili pepper
- 1.5 liters of water
- 1 seafood broth tea bag (or dried anchovies and kelp for broth)
Spicy Seasoning Paste- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 2 Tbsp anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot)
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 0.5 Tbsp red pepper paste (gochujang)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 2 Tbsp anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot)
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 0.5 Tbsp red pepper paste (gochujang)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Pour 1.5 liters of fresh water into a pot. Add 1 seafood broth tea bag (or dried anchovies and kelp for broth), which is the secret to a refreshing broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boiling for about 10 minutes to extract a deep broth is crucial.
Step 2
Cut the fish cakes into bite-sized pieces (about 5x5cm). Separate the baby napa cabbage leaves and cut them into large, bite-sized pieces. Slice the Korean radish thinly or into cubes. Slice the onion into strips, and diagonally slice the green onion, cheongyang pepper, and red chili pepper to add color and spiciness.
Step 3
Once the broth is boiling vigorously, remove the seafood tea bag. Add the baby napa cabbage leaves and sliced Korean radish first. Cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until the radish becomes translucent, allowing its refreshing flavor to infuse into the broth.
Step 4
Let’s make the spicy seasoning paste for a clean and delicious spicy fish cake soup! In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes, 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp anchovy sauce, 1 Tbsp cooking wine, and 0.5 Tbsp red pepper paste (or 1 tsp) for added zest. Mix well until smooth and lump-free.
Step 5
Once the radish is somewhat cooked, reduce the heat to medium. Add the bite-sized fish cakes and sliced onions. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, as overcooking fish cakes can make them mushy. Cook them along with the onions.
Step 6
When you see the fish cakes puffing up and cooking, add all of the prepared spicy seasoning paste to the pot. Stir gently to dissolve the paste.
Step 7
Now, slightly open the lid and simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes. This allows the deep flavors from the fish cakes and vegetables to meld with the seasoning paste, creating an even richer broth.
Step 8
Finally, add the diagonally sliced green onions, red chili peppers, and cheongyang peppers, and simmer for just a bit longer. The fresh aroma and spiciness of the peppers will enhance the flavor. Simmer for only 1-2 minutes.
Step 9
Check the seasoning and if needed, add a little more soup soy sauce to adjust to your taste. If it’s too spicy, a tiny bit of sugar (about 1/2 tsp) can help balance the heat. Serve hot for the best taste!
