Spicy and Rich Pork Jjamppong (Korean Noodle Soup)
How to Make Authentic Jeolla-do Style Pork Jjamppong with a Secret Tip!
There’s no one who has only eaten it once and stopped! This is the Jeolla-do style pork jjamppong, where the broth gets richer and more flavorful the longer it simmers. A hearty and nutritious spicy pork jjamppong, perfect for sons and daughters missing their mom’s home-cooked meals.
Main Ingredients- 500g pork, thinly sliced (for japchae)
- 30g pork fat (optional, for enhanced flavor)
- 1.7L water
Fresh Vegetables- 1 zucchini
- 3 shiitake mushrooms
- 2 potatoes
- 200g oyster mushrooms
- 1/2 carrot
- 1 onion
- 3 green onions (separate leafy tops for broth and stalks for oil)
- 7 Korean chili peppers (Cheongyang)
- 20 cloves garlic
Seasoning Ingredients- 5 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 5 Tbsp coarse gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 1/2 Tbsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce (kanari aekjeot)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce for soup (gukganjang)
- 1/2 Tbsp coarse salt
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 zucchini
- 3 shiitake mushrooms
- 2 potatoes
- 200g oyster mushrooms
- 1/2 carrot
- 1 onion
- 3 green onions (separate leafy tops for broth and stalks for oil)
- 7 Korean chili peppers (Cheongyang)
- 20 cloves garlic
Seasoning Ingredients- 5 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 5 Tbsp coarse gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 1/2 Tbsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce (kanari aekjeot)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce for soup (gukganjang)
- 1/2 Tbsp coarse salt
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
🌶️ Prepare the Vegetables: 1. Slice the potatoes into thick 0.5cm rounds. (Tip: Adding potatoes makes the broth thicker and more savory.) 2. Slice the zucchini into thick 0.5cm rounds. 3. Cut the carrot in half, slice thinly (about 0.3cm thick), then cut the wider side lengthwise in half. 4. Slice the onion into 0.5cm thick pieces. 5. Separate the oyster mushrooms into strands; if thick, tear them in half. 6. Trim the tough base of the shiitake mushrooms and slice them thinly (about 0.3cm). 7. Slice the Korean chili peppers diagonally for a bit of heat. 8. Mince the garlic after crushing it with the side of a knife. 9. Cut the green onion: the leafy tops into 5cm lengths for the broth, and the white stalks thinly for the infused oil.
Step 2
🐷 Render the Pork Fat: 10. Heat a pot and add the pork fat. 11. Adjust the heat between medium and high, rendering about 8-10 tablespoons of flavorful pork oil. (Tip: You can substitute cooking oil, but pork fat adds a deep, savory richness to the jjamppong.)
Step 3
💨 Infuse Green Onion Oil: 12. Add the thinly sliced green onion stalks (for oil) to the rendered pork fat. Sauté until softened to release their fragrance. 13. Add half (1/2) of the minced garlic and sauté until golden brown and fragrant. 14. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and turn off the heat.
Step 4
🔥 Make Chili Oil: 15. While the oil is still hot, add both the fine and coarse gochugaru. 16. Stir constantly to prevent burning and sauté briefly. (Caution: Burnt chili powder will make the soup bitter! It’s best to do this over low heat or with the heat turned off using residual warmth.)
Step 5
🥩 Sauté the Pork: 17. Add the thinly sliced pork to the flavored oil in the pot. 18. Turn the heat back on to medium and stir-fry the pork gently just until it’s no longer pink, being careful not to burn it. This step helps to seal in the juices.
Step 6
🥄 Marinate the Pork: 19. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce for soup, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and a splash of water. Sauté with the pork. (Tip: This process helps remove any porky smell and seasons the meat.)
Step 7
🧂 Add Pepper: 20. Add 1/4 tablespoon of black pepper and stir it in to enhance the pork’s flavor.
Step 8
💧 Add Water for Broth: 21. Pour in enough water to just cover the pork and bring to a simmer. (This allows the pork juices to meld with the broth.)
Step 9
🧂 Adjust Seasoning: 22. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce for soup, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and the remaining minced garlic (1/2). Stir well to combine.
Step 10
🍲 Start Cooking Vegetables: 23. Fill the pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. (Tip: Adding all the vegetables at once can cause the soup to overflow, so start with less water.)
Step 11
🧂 Add Salt: 24. Add 1/2 tablespoon of coarse salt to further season the broth.
Step 12
🥕 Cook First Batch of Vegetables: 25. Add half (1/2) of the prepared green onion tops. Add the potatoes and mushrooms (which take longer to cook) first. Bring to a rolling boil. Add the remaining water to ensure the vegetables cook properly.
Step 13
🥬 Add Remaining Vegetables: 26. Add the carrots, onions, Korean chili peppers, zucchini, and the rest of the green onion tops in this order. 27. Cook for only about 5 minutes to prevent the zucchini from becoming too mushy. 28. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 tablespoon of black pepper. Your rich and spicy pork jjamppong is now complete!
Step 14
✨ Enjoy: Serve your hot jjamppong with rice or noodles for a delicious meal!
