Soups Recipes
434 recipes. Page 1 of 19
Soups and broths are the backbone of a Korean meal, served alongside rice at nearly every table. From clear seaweed soup (miyeokguk) to rich ox-bone broth (gomtang) and spicy beef soup (yukgaejang), the variety is enormous. Each season brings its own favorites - chilled soups in summer and piping-hot stews in winter.
Amami Keihan Chicken Broth Rice
Amami keihan is a signature rice dish topped separately with shredded chicken, thin egg strips, simmered shiitake, green beans, miso-pickled papaya, scallion, citrus peel, and nori, then flooded with hot chicken-bone broth. The earliest form resembled seasoned chicken rice; the broth-poured style spread in the Showa era and is now standard. Diners use a modest amount of rice and ample soup for a light, flowing bowl. Chicken bones simmer with ginger for an hour, tenderloin cooks in that broth to 74°C, and each colorful garnish is prepared separately for guests to arrange as they like.
Korean Skewered Fish Cake Soup
Eomuk-kkochi starts with flat fish cake sheets folded into zigzag shapes on skewers, which then simmer in a clear broth made from Korean radish, kelp, and green onion. The broth draws umami from the radish and kelp and transfers that depth into the fish cakes as they cook. The fish cakes soften from their original firm bounce as they absorb the broth, while the liquid itself thickens slightly from the starch the eomuk releases. Serving a dipping sauce of soy or gochujang alongside each skewer adds another dimension of flavor at the table. This is one of Korea's most iconic winter street foods, served at pojangmacha stalls where the hot broth gets ladled into paper cups for sipping between bites.
Korean Zucchini Soybean Paste Soup
The soup that comes to mind when Koreans think of home cooking. Not a dish for special occasions - this is what gets made on ordinary weeknights when nothing more specific has been decided. Anchovy-kelp stock is the base: dried anchovies and a piece of kombu in cold water, brought to a boil and simmered ten minutes. Doenjang dissolved through a strainer into the finished stock adds the fermented, earthy depth that defines the soup. Onion goes in first and sweetens the broth as it softens. Zucchini, sliced into half-moons, follows with minced garlic, cooking for five minutes at most - past that point the slices lose their shape and the broth becomes murky. Cubed tofu is added last, just to warm through without breaking. The result is a cloudy, golden soup where the salty funk of the doenjang sits underneath a gentle vegetable sweetness. A sliced cheongyang chili makes it spicy; left out, the soup is mild enough for any table.
Korean Monkfish Spicy Stew
Agwi tang jjigae is a monkfish-based dish that occupies the middle ground between a clear soup and a more concentrated, heavily seasoned stew. It features a broth that is noticeably cloudier and carries a more intense flavor profile than what is typically found in either of those two distinct categories. The cooking process starts by simmering sliced radish in plain water for about ten minutes to establish a sweet and clear liquid base. After this time has passed, Korean red chili flakes and a small amount of fermented soybean paste are mixed into the pot. The soybean paste serves a specific purpose in this recipe, as it helps to neutralize any fishy smells from the monkfish while adding a foundational fermented taste to the overall broth. The monkfish is prepared over medium heat, which allows its gelatinous flesh to stay together in large, firm pieces rather than separating into flakes. To add both texture and bulk, bean sprouts are stirred into the pot to provide a crunch that balances the soft consistency of the fish. Water dropwort, which is called minari in Korean, is the final ingredient to be added. It is left to wilt in the remaining heat of the pot after the heat is reduced so that its unique herbal fragrance is infused into the liquid. Although the monkfish has a somewhat strange appearance, its flesh is thick and very sturdy, meaning it does not disintegrate even when cooked for a long period. Furthermore, the substantial layer of gelatin found under the skin melts into the soup as it simmers, providing a natural thickness to the broth without the use of any starch. When served with a bowl of hot steamed rice on a cold evening, this dish functions as a complete and satisfying meal.
Korean Anchovy Broth Thin Noodle Soup
Anchovy somyeon is the noodle soup Korean families fall back on when the kitchen offers little to work with - dried anchovies, a strip of dashima kelp, and a bundle of thin wheat noodles are enough. The broth starts with dried anchovies soaked briefly to cut any bitterness, then simmered with dashima for fifteen minutes before being strained to produce a clear liquid with a faint oceanic sweetness and deep umami. Somyeon - hair-thin wheat noodles - are cooked in a separate pot to keep their starch from clouding the broth, then rinsed repeatedly under cold water until every strand separates cleanly. The noodles go into a bowl of hot broth and are finished with sliced scallion, a small drop of sesame oil, and often a sheet of toasted gim. A few drops of soy sauce tune the salt level, and a soft-boiled egg or a few slices of tofu can round it into a full meal. The appeal of the dish is its restraint: no chili paste, no fermented base, just the clean savor of anchovy stock meeting springy noodles. Korean mothers have served this as a quick midday meal for generations, and it endures as comfort food in its most unadorned form.
Danza Noodle Soup (Tomato Chickpea Pasta Soup)
Danza noodle soup is a light Mediterranean-style soup that simmers diced tomatoes and chickpeas together in vegetable broth with dried oregano and thin pasta noodles. Sauteing onion in olive oil until translucent before adding the tomatoes builds a deeper, more aromatic base than starting with raw aromatics. Chickpeas soften gradually as the soup cooks, contributing a nutty richness and satisfying substance without making the broth heavy. Stirring in fresh parsley just before serving lifts the finished soup with a clean herbal brightness against the tomato backdrop. Cooking the pasta separately and adding it at serving keeps the broth clearer and prevents the noodles from absorbing too much liquid.
Korean Pork Soup with Rice
Dwaeji gukbap is Busan's definitive pork and rice soup, constructed around a broth that simmers pork shoulder or neck in a bone stock base for well over an hour, until the liquid becomes pale, rich, and deeply flavored. The pork is always blanched in plain water first and the water discarded, removing blood and impurities that would cloud the broth or introduce an off-flavor. After blanching, the meat transfers to the main pot where it cooks long and low until the muscle fibers loosen and the collagen begins to dissolve into the liquid, adding a gentle body that coats the inside of the bowl. That collagen-thickened base absorbs the mineral depth of the simmered bones beneath it, building a broth that cannot be rushed or replicated quickly. The cooked pork is sliced thin across the grain, arranged over a bowl of steamed rice, and doused with a generous pour of the boiling broth, which soaks into the rice and makes each spoonful carry the flavor of both. Sliced green onion and garlic chives piled on top add a fresh, grassy brightness that cuts through the richness. Fermented shrimp paste and minced fresh chili sit on the side for each diner to season individually - a ritual that is specific to this dish. In Busan, gukbap shops that have kept the same stockpot simmering for decades are treated with the same reverence as landmarks.
Korean Soupy Tteokbokki (Rice Cakes in Spicy Gochujang Broth)
Gukmul-tteokbokki is a soup-forward version of tteokbokki in which cylindrical rice cakes and fish cakes are simmered in a kelp-anchovy broth seasoned with gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, and sugar. Unlike dry or stir-fried versions, the generous broth saturates each rice cake from the outside in, while the fish cakes release their own savory juices into the liquid as they cook, building the stock to a richer baseline. Eight to ten minutes of medium-heat simmering leaves the exterior of each rice cake soft and yielding while the core stays chewy. Scallions go in at the end to cut through the heat with a bright, grassy note. The broth left over after the rice cakes and fish cakes are gone is widely regarded as the most prized part of the dish: regulars stir in a bowl of rice or drop in ramyeon noodles to make sure none of it goes to waste.
Korean Monkfish Soup (Spicy Southern Coastal Fish Broth)
Agwi-tang is the soup form of Korea's monkfish repertoire, originating along the fishing villages of the southern coast where the fish - known as agwi or agu depending on dialect - is caught and sold fresh daily. Where braised preparations like agwi-jjim build intensity through reduction and heavy sauce, the tang prioritizes the broth. Anchovy stock is the base; radish simmers in it for eight minutes to release its sweetness before the monkfish enters. As the fish cooks gently over medium heat, its collagen dissolves into the liquid and gives it body. The monkfish flesh itself is mild and gelatinous, a texture unlike most white fish. Bean sprouts go in at the end to contribute crunch against the soft fish. Sliced green onion and a hit of gochugaru cloud the broth red and add spice. In coastal towns this was morning food - hangover soup served steaming at predawn markets to fishermen and dock workers before the day started.
Korean Andong Guksi (Clear Beef Broth Celebration Noodles)
Andong guksi is a banquet noodle dish from the city of Andong in North Gyeongsang Province, served at weddings, ancestral rites, and major family ceremonies for centuries. In Korean culture, long noodles carry a symbolic association with longevity, and that significance kept this dish at the center of celebratory meals across generations. The broth is made from beef brisket and bones simmered for hours until the liquid is clear yet coated with dissolved gelatin - not milky-white in the style of bone broths pushed hard, but translucent and full of a quiet richness that clings faintly to the lips. Wheat noodles, traditionally hand-pulled but now usually dried and purchased, are cooked separately, rinsed, and placed in the strained broth. Toppings are deliberately minimal: thin egg jidan strips, julienned zucchini, and a few slices of the boiled brisket. Seasoning with soup soy sauce and a touch of garlic keeps the broth transparent and positions the beef flavor at the front. Andong's most famous export, jjimdak, relies on bold, chili-forward heat; guksi is the counterpoint - an exercise in restraint and clarity.
Hearty Minestrone Soup
Hearty minestrone cuts onion, carrot, celery, and zucchini into roughly 1 cm cubes so beans, small pasta, and vegetables fit together in each substantial spoonful. Dice 120 g onion, 120 g carrot, 100 g celery, and 150 g zucchini to a similar size. If the firm carrot pieces are much larger or the zucchini much smaller, their textures will not meet at the same cooking time. Warm 1.5 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes, until the onion turns glossy and the vegetables begin to smell sweet. Add the zucchini for 2 minutes, then stir in 300 g crushed tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes while scraping the bottom so the vegetable sugars do not scorch. Pour in 900 ml vegetable broth and add 180 g kidney beans. Bring the soup to a boil, lower to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. This reduces the broth while allowing the vegetables to soften gently. Add 100 g small pasta directly to the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Because the pasta absorbs liquid and releases starch, add a little more broth if the soup becomes thick before the pasta turns tender. Season with salt and black pepper only after checking that final consistency. Ladle into bowls, finish with 20 g grated Parmesan and a small drizzle of olive oil, and serve while the broth still flows around the generous solids. When reheating after an overnight rest, loosen it with broth before bringing it back to serving temperature.
Fukagawa Meshi
Fukagawa meshi is an Edo-style fisherman's rice bowl from Fukagawa in Tokyo's Koto ward. Fresh shucked clams and coarsely cut scallion are briefly simmered in miso broth and poured, liquid and all, over hot rice. During the Edo period, Fukagawa-ura was a tidal fishing settlement rich in clams, and vendors sold nukimi, shellfish already removed from their shells. Fishers could quickly cook that meat and eat it between work. Today both this poured-over version and a seasoned rice version cooked with clams carry the same name. Brief cooking keeps the clam meat tender, and the bowl is eaten immediately as its savory broth runs between the grains.
Ajo Blanco (Chilled Spanish Almond and Garlic Soup)
Ajo blanco is a chilled soup blended from almonds, garlic, soaked bread, water, olive oil, and vinegar. Put 120g of blanched almonds and 1 garlic clove in the blender first. If the garlic is very sharp, use half a clove, then blend until the almonds look like fine damp meal. Add the soaked bread, most of the 350ml water, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, and 0.5 teaspoon of salt. Blend for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides if thick paste sticks. Run the blender on medium speed and drizzle in 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a thin stream. Stop when the soup turns white, glossy, and creamy instead of looking separated. If the texture is too thick, add the reserved water a little at a time and blend again. For a silkier result, pass the soup once through a fine sieve before chilling.
Asam Laksa (Tamarind Fish Noodle Soup)
Asam laksa is Penang's defining noodle soup, recognized by UNESCO as one of Malaysia's intangible cultural heritage items. Where Singapore's curry laksa builds its richness on coconut milk, this version draws its entire character from a tamarind-soured fish broth that is tart, briny, and aggressively aromatic in a way that coconut-based versions never are. Whole mackerel is poached until it flakes, then removed and broken apart by hand; the remaining liquid is blended with torch ginger flower, lemongrass, and galangal pounded into a coarse paste to build the broth's layered fragrance. Tamarind sourness arrives first and dominates the initial impression, followed by a slow build of chili heat and the ocean depth of fish sauce. Thick rice noodles sit at the bottom of the bowl, their chewy resistance offering physical contrast to the sharp, lean broth that pours over them. The table condiments - julienned cucumber, fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced onion, and a spoonful of belacan-enriched prawn paste - are not optional garnishes but integral components: the fermented prawn paste in particular adds a dimension of umami that rounds the broth's acidity into something far more complex. Every hawker stall in Penang has its own spice ratios handed down through family lines, which is why no two bowls taste exactly alike.
Minestrone
Minestrone keeps its vegetables distinct by adding them according to cooking time instead of boiling everything from the beginning. Cut 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 zucchini into similarly sized small pieces so each spoonful cooks evenly. Finely chop 3 garlic cloves and hold them separately. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat, then cook the onion, carrots, and celery for about 6 minutes. Add the garlic only after the firmer vegetables soften and the onion edges turn translucent. Cook it for 30 seconds, stopping before it browns. Crush in 400 g whole peeled tomatoes and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour in 1200 ml vegetable stock, then add the zucchini and 400 g canned kidney beans. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 20 minutes so the vegetables and beans flavor the broth without being broken apart by a violent boil. Add 100 g ditalini directly to the soup and stir the bottom well. Cook for about 8 minutes, checking for a slightly firm al dente center. The starch released by the pasta will thicken the broth as it cooks. If the finished soup becomes tighter than intended, loosen it with a little more hot stock rather than cold water. Turn off the heat before adding 10 g fresh basil and a final drizzle of olive oil, preserving their fresh aroma. Other leftover vegetables can be incorporated using the same order: sturdy pieces early, quick-softening pieces later, and pasta only for its final cooking time.
Funa-Meshi (Okayama Minced Crucian Carp Rice Bowl)
Funa-meshi is a rice bowl from southern Okayama made by loosening minced crucian carp in vegetable and sesame oils, briefly frying it with burdock, Kintoki carrot, taro, fresh shiitake, konnyaku, and fried tofu, then simmering everything in dashi seasoned with dark and light soy sauces, mirin, sake, and sugar. The hot, richly flavored soup is ladled generously over rice and finished with sliced onion and torn nori. Cooking the mince gently until pale before adding the vegetables reduces the freshwater aroma and keeps it granular. The dish grew alongside reclamation around Kojima Bay, where rice fields, canals, rivers, and Kojima Lake supported plentiful crucian carp. It was also called tontoko-jiru or tontoko-meshi after the rhythmic chopping sound made when winter fish were minced on a board.
Korean Spicy Fish Roe Stew
Altang is a Korean stew built around pollock roe - the egg sacs that are the defining ingredient, distinguishing this dish from the many other spicy Korean seafood stews. The dish originated in east coast fishing towns where fresh roe is available in large quantities during the winter spawning season and must be used quickly. Anchovy-kelp stock simmers first with radish to create a clean, sweet foundation before the roe and tofu are added. Once the roe goes into the broth, something visible happens: the egg sacs release their contents as they cook, turning the liquid cloudy and enriching it with marine oils that give the broth a noticeably heavier, more unctuous body. This transformation is specific to altang and is part of what makes it a different eating experience from other spicy Korean stews. Gochugaru and doenjang season the stew together - the chili bringing direct heat and the fermented paste adding depth - and together they neutralize the fishy edge that pollock roe would otherwise carry. Crown daisy, ssukgat, is added in the final moments. Its sharp, almost medicinal herbal fragrance is the correct counterpoint to the heavy, briny broth. In Korean drinking culture, altang occupies a specific role as a late-night restorative consumed at the end of a long evening. The image of a stone pot of altang arriving at the table still vigorously boiling, at two or three in the morning, is a recognizable part of Korean urban nightlife.
Korean Clam Kalguksu (Hand-Cut Noodles in Clam Broth)
Baekhap kalguksu is a Korean knife-cut noodle soup in which the broth is derived entirely from hard clams rather than the more standard anchovy base. Purged clams are placed in cold water and brought to a boil; once the shells open, the clams are lifted out and the broth is strained through cheesecloth to remove any residual sand or shell fragments. Thinly sliced daikon radish and Korean zucchini cook in the strained broth for five minutes, contributing vegetal sweetness. The hand-cut noodles go in next and are boiled for six to seven minutes until they turn translucent; starch released from the noodles thickens the broth naturally into a lightly viscous, silky consistency without any additional thickener. Once the noodles are cooked, the reserved clam meat returns to the pot, and the soup is seasoned with minced garlic and guk-ganjang. Onion added with the vegetables deepens the broth's sweetness further. Because clam liquor rather than dried anchovy forms the base, the soup carries a distinctly marine, mineral character that permeates every strand of noodle, setting baekhap kalguksu apart from all other regional kalguksu variations. Along the coastal areas of South Chungcheong and Jeolla Provinces, this style of noodle soup has been a local specialty for generations, best in the seasons when clams are most abundant.
Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Rustic Bean and Pasta Soup)
Pasta e fagioli thickens in two deliberate stages: roughly mashed cannellini beans give body to the broth, then ditalini cooked directly in the pot releases starch and absorbs liquid. Finely dice 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, and 1 carrot, and mince 3 garlic cloves. Drain 400 g canned cannellini beans and crush 400 g whole peeled tomatoes by hand. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, and carrot for about 6 minutes, stirring often so they soften without taking on hard brown edges. Add the garlic and 1 sprig fresh rosemary for 1 minute. Before the garlic browns, add the crushed tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the cooked-on vegetable flavor. Simmer the tomatoes over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until slightly thicker. Pour in 800 ml chicken stock and add the beans, then return the soup to a steady simmer. Lift out about one third of the beans, mash them roughly with a fork, and stir them back into the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes more, watching the broth become cloudy, smoother, and fuller without cream. Add 150 g ditalini and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until al dente. The pasta will keep releasing starch and taking up broth, so if the pot becomes too thick, add water in small splashes rather than flooding it. Stop when the pasta retains a firm center and the mixture still eats like a soup rather than a solid pasta dish.
Hiyajiru (Cold Fish and Miso Soup over Barley Rice)
Hiyajiru is a Miyazaki summer meal made by grinding toasted dried sardines, sesame, peanuts, and miso, browning the paste until fragrant, loosening it with cold stock, and adding tofu, cucumber, shiso, myoga, and ginger. The concentrated soup is chilled thoroughly and poured over freshly cooked hot barley rice for a sharp temperature contrast. It is said to have developed from farmers' quick hot-weather meal of raw miso and water over barley rice. Celebratory versions use grilled sea bream or horse mackerel with every bone removed, while everyday bowls often rely on toasted iriko dried sardines. Nutty richness and fish savor support the cool broth, and crisp cucumber with aromatic herbs keeps the rice refreshing in Miyazaki's humid heat.
Korean Mallow Clam Soup (Doenjang Mallow and Clam Broth)
Auk-bajirak-guk pairs mallow greens and littleneck clams in a doenjang broth, a combination that Korean coastal households have prepared together for generations. The two ingredients come from the same geographic region - the shallow tidal flats and vegetable gardens of Korea's southern and western coasts - and their flavor profiles complement each other in a way that seems almost deliberate. The clams are purged of sand by soaking in salted water, then brought to a boil until the shells open. The liquid they release is immediately saline and oceanic, becoming the backbone of the broth. Doenjang dissolved into that clam liquor adds fermented earthiness and depth that the brine alone cannot provide. Mallow leaves are added at the very end - less than a minute before the pot comes off the heat. Cooking them longer dulls their color, turns the broth cloudy, and produces an excess of the mucilage the leaves naturally contain. Brief cooking preserves their silky, almost slippery texture, and the small amount of mucilage that does release thickens the broth very slightly, giving it more body. The flavor balance across the three components is precise: the doenjang's savory funk is sharpened by the clam's brininess, and the mallow's gentle sweetness smooths both into a rounded whole. The broth is flavorful enough to eat on its own poured over rice. Spring is the best season for this soup, when young mallow leaves are at their most tender.
Korean Manila Clam Knife-Cut Noodle Soup
Bajirak kalguksu is a prominent Korean noodle dish that consists of wheat noodles prepared by hand and cooked in a broth made from manila clams. The process begins with the preparation of the clams, which are soaked in cold water for at least one hour. This purging stage is necessary to ensure that the clams expel any internal sand or debris before they are boiled. Once cleaned, the clams are placed in fresh water and boiled until their shells open fully. The shells are then discarded, and the resulting stock is strained through a fine cloth to remove every remaining particle of grit. This meticulous straining produces a clear broth where the natural oceanic flavor of the clams remains the primary focus. The salinity of this base is mineral and clean, which distinguishes it from the flavor profile of dashi made with dried and concentrated anchovies. Sliced Korean zucchini and scallions are added to the strained broth and allowed to simmer for five minutes. These vegetables contribute a mild sweetness that helps to soften the natural saltiness of the clam extract. When the hand-cut noodles are added to the boiling liquid, they release starch as they cook. This starch gradually transforms the consistency of the broth, making it slightly thick and viscous so that it adheres to the individual noodle strands. This specific change in texture is what separates kalguksu from other varieties of Korean noodle soup. The noodles are boiled for six to seven minutes until they become translucent, after which the reserved clam meat is returned to the pot. Seasoning with soup soy sauce is performed with caution because the clam stock already contains a high level of natural salinity. Adding an excessive amount of soy sauce can easily mask the delicate marine qualities that define the dish. The overall concentration of the broth is a direct result of the quantity of clams used and the length of the simmering process. If a more assertive flavor profile is preferred, the number of clams used in the initial stage should be increased rather than adding more external seasoning.
Tortellini in Brodo (Italian Stuffed Pasta in Clear Meat Broth)
Tortellini in brodo is a traditional soup from Emilia-Romagna in which small stuffed pasta parcels are served in a clear, full-flavored meat broth. The filling typically combines pork, prosciutto, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The broth - usually made from chicken or beef bones - is simmered long enough to develop deep body while remaining transparent. In Italy, this dish is closely associated with Christmas and holiday meals. Using store-bought tortellini, the recipe can be completed in about 40 minutes.
Dried Pollock and Bean Sprout Rice Soup
Dried pollock and bean sprout rice soup cooks 60 g dried pollock strips, 180 g bean sprouts, and 120 g radish in 1100 ml water, then serves the soup over two bowls of rice. Rinse the pollock briefly under running water, soak it for 1 minute, and squeeze it lightly. Slice the radish into thin pieces and slice 30 g green onion. Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a pot at medium heat and stir-fry the pollock for 1 minute. Add the water and radish, bring them to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and 1 tsp minced garlic, cover the pot immediately, and keep a medium flame for 7 minutes without lifting the lid. Open the pot, mix in 1.5 tbsp soup soy sauce, and bring the broth back to a boil. Add the green onion and cook for 1 minute. Divide the rice between two bowls and ladle the pollock, sprouts, radish, and broth over it.
About Soups
The secret to a great Korean soup lies in building a flavorful stock from anchovies, kelp, or beef bones. This collection covers classic and modern soup recipes you can recreate at home.