Spicy and Refreshing Scallion Soup: Manmulsang Style
The Ultimate Summer Health Food to Beat the Heat: Spicy Manmulsang Scallion Soup
When the sweltering heat drains your appetite, here’s the perfect ‘fight fire with fire’ summer health food recipe: Manmulsang Scallion Soup! Its spicy yet refreshing broth is perfect not only for hot days but also for chilly weather that calls for a warming meal. This recipe includes special tips for achieving a deep, savory flavor right in your own kitchen.
Main Ingredients
- 5 large green onions (scallions)
- 200g fresh beef (brisket or similar cut)
- 1/2 cup Korean soy sauce (gukganjang)
- 2 king oyster mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons perilla oil
- Manmulsang special scallion soup seasoning paste
- 3 Korean red chili peppers (cheongyang peppers)
- A little cooking oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the green onions, which add deep flavor to the soup. To make the broth spicy and clean, gently tap the white parts of the green onions with the back of a knife to soften them. Then, cut them into convenient 8cm lengths for easy eating and better flavor infusion. In a pot, add 2L of clean water, enough to cover the green onions. To remove any astringency or excess juice from the green onions, add 1/2 cup of Korean soy sauce (gukganjang) and let it soak for about 10 minutes. (Soaking the green onions in Korean soy sauce beforehand helps reduce their slightly bitter taste, resulting in a cleaner broth.)
Step 2
Now, let’s make the star of the scallion soup: the seasoning paste! In a bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of fine chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon of coarse salt, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of regular soy sauce (jin ganjang), 3 tablespoons of Korean soy sauce (gukganjang), 3 tablespoons of anchovy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix everything thoroughly to create the seasoning paste. This paste is the key to the soup’s spicy and rich flavor.
Step 3
Heat a pot and add 2 tablespoons of perilla oil. Add the prepared beef and stir-fry until the surface is lightly browned. Once the beef is slightly cooked and has changed color, add the sliced king oyster mushrooms and continue to stir-fry for about 1 minute more. (The Manmulsang recipe suggests that using beef and enoki mushrooms can add a deeper umami flavor and a pleasant chewy texture.)
Step 4
After stir-frying the beef and mushrooms, add the Manmulsang Scallion Soup seasoning paste you made earlier. Continue to stir-fry together for about 2 minutes, allowing the seasoning to coat the ingredients well. Once the ingredients are nicely sautéed, pour in 10-11 cups of clean water into the pot. Add only the white parts of the green onions that were soaking in Korean soy sauce. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 15 minutes. (At this stage, only the white parts of the green onions are added to extract a refreshing broth.)
Step 5
Next, let’s make a special chili oil that will elevate the soup’s aroma and flavor. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 tablespoon of perilla oil, and 1 tablespoon of chili powder. Microwave this mixture for about 1 minute. Once out of the microwave, add 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of regular soy sauce (jin ganjang) to the chili oil and stir well. This completes the special chili oil for the Manmulsang Scallion Soup. (This step is a secret to enhancing the soup’s overall deliciousness.)
Step 6
Add the carefully prepared chili oil to the scallion soup that has been simmering. (If you prefer a clearer soup, you can strain the chili oil before adding it.) Continue to simmer over medium heat for another 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully. Finally, add the green parts of the green onions and the spicy Korean red chili peppers. Bring to a brief boil, and your spicy and refreshing Manmulsang Scallion Soup is complete! This will be the perfect nourishing dish to reignite your appetite on a hot summer day.
