Soups Recipes
434 recipes. Page 11 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.
Go-jiru (Creamy Ground Soybean Miso Soup)
Go-jiru is a thick soybean soup from Fukui. Dried soybeans soak for a full night and day, simmer until their raw beany aroma disappears, and are ground with cooking liquid into a smooth paste called go. The paste returns to the pot, rises into a soft foam as it heats, and is seasoned with miso before finely chopped leek and optional chili finish each bowl. Ground beans enrich the entire broth with protein, body, and a gentle nutty flavor. In Fukui, the soup continues as a temple food served to gatherings for Hoonko, the major Jodo Shinshu observance around the anniversary of Shinran's death, locally called Honko-san. Regional cooks may grind soaked raw beans, cooked beans, or soybean flour; simmering the beans first gives a stable soup with a mild aroma.
Gomchi-guk (Eelpout Fish Radish Soup)
Gomchi-guk is an East Coast Korean fish soup centered on eelpout, a deep-sea fish prized for its exceptionally soft flesh and naturally high gelatin content. The fish is cut into sections and simmered with radish in plain water, producing a broth that appears simple but carries a clean marine richness and a subtly viscous body that comes entirely from the collagen dissolving out of the fish as it cooks. Radish absorbs and neutralizes the fishiness that might otherwise dominate the soup, while also contributing a gentle sweetness that keeps the broth tasting bright. A splash of cheongju rice wine is added early in cooking to eliminate any remaining off-notes, a standard technique for Korean fish soups. As the soup simmers, the eelpout flesh gradually separates and disperses into the liquid, blurring the boundary between solid and broth and making the soup feel satisfyingly unified rather than composed of distinct parts. Garlic and green onion provide the final layer of aromatics, and seasoning is kept simple with salt or a small measure of soup soy sauce. Gomchi-guk is a regional specialty most closely associated with the coastal towns of Gangwon Province and the North Gyeongsang coastline, where it is typically served bubbling hot in a stone pot through the winter months. Frozen eelpout is available outside its native region and produces a comparable result.
Gomtang (Slow-Simmered Ox Bone Beef Soup)
Gomtang is a Korean bone soup made by simmering beef leg bones and brisket in water for five to six hours or longer until the broth turns opaque and milky white. The prolonged cooking extracts collagen, marrow, and fat from the bones, giving the liquid a creamy texture and a deep beefy flavor that needs only salt and black pepper to taste complete. Before the long simmer begins, the bones should be soaked in cold water for at least an hour to draw out the blood, then parboiled briefly in a fresh pot of water and rinsed clean so that the final broth comes out clear and free of off flavors. The brisket is removed partway through cooking, sliced thin against the grain, and arranged on top of the steaming soup for serving. Sliced green onion and a generous shake of black pepper cut cleanly through the richness of the milky broth. The most common way to eat gomtang is with a bowl of steamed rice submerged directly into the soup, letting the grains soak up all the flavor. This is slow food in the truest sense - the hours of effort yield a pot that can sustain a family across two meals - and it remains one of the dishes Koreans reach for instinctively when the cold sets in.
Korean Beef Intestine Hot Pot
Gopchang jeongol is a hot pot built around beef intestines and tripe, simmered in a rich bone stock. The 500 grams of intestines and 200 grams of tripe provide a chewy, bouncy texture that defines the dish. Napa cabbage and oyster mushrooms balance the richness of the offal, while gochujang and gochugaru season the broth with a moderate heat. Thorough cleaning is essential before cooking: the intestines should be scrubbed repeatedly with coarse salt and flour to eliminate any off-odor, then blanched briefly to skim away the fat that rises to the surface, which makes the final broth noticeably cleaner. Once the pot is set up at the table and brought to a rolling boil, the offal turns glossy and the broth deepens into a dark, spicy richness. Wrapping pieces of intestine in perilla leaves with a smear of doenjang is a popular eating method, and the remaining broth is often used to make a finishing fried rice after the main course is done. Served bubbling at the table, this communal dish is meant to be shared.
Korean Seoul-style Gopchang Jeongol
Seoul-style gopchang jeongol is a hot pot of beef intestines cooked in beef bone broth, where the key distinction from other regional versions is the use of soup soy sauce rather than gochujang as the primary seasoning. Gochujang-based hot pots run thick and heavy; this Seoul version stays clear and clean-tasting, with the depth coming from the bone broth and the intestines themselves rather than from fermented paste. Six hundred grams of cleaned beef intestines go into the pot along with cabbage, oyster mushrooms, and perilla leaves. The perilla leaves are added toward the end and contribute a distinctive herbal scent that cuts through the richness of the intestines. Gochugaru provides color and a measured level of heat. The intestines need to cook for at least twenty minutes after the broth reaches a boil to eliminate any off-odors and reach the tender, slightly chewy texture that defines the dish. This preparation traces back to the gopchang alley restaurants concentrated around Seoul's Euljiro and Majang-dong districts, where the combination of gopchang and soju has been the standard order for decades.
Korean Bracken and Beef Soup
Gosari sogogi-guk is a hearty Korean soup made by first stir-frying rehydrated bracken fern with beef in sesame oil, then adding water and dissolving doenjang into the broth to simmer. The bracken - dried mountain fern that must be soaked overnight until fully pliable - keeps a distinctive chewy resilience even after long soaking and simmering, setting it apart from the softer vegetables found in most doenjang soups. This chewiness is a defining quality of the ingredient and one of the main reasons the soup is valued over simpler alternatives. The stir-frying step before liquid is added is what builds the soup's character: as the bracken and beef cook together in sesame oil, their flavors dissolve into the fat and create a layered, savory base that plain boiling in water cannot achieve. Doenjang is introduced midway through rather than at the start to prevent the salt level from becoming too concentrated during the long simmer - its fermented depth and rounded umami wrap around everything in the pot. Garlic and green onion refine the aroma and cut any residual earthiness from the bracken. This soup has deep ties to Korean holidays: bracken is one of the three classic namul vegetables prepared for ancestral rites at Chuseok and Lunar New Year, and it is customary to use leftover soaked bracken from holiday namul preparation in a pot of soup the following day. Cooked bracken also freezes well, so many households keep it on hand year-round. The combination of earthy bracken, soft beef, and fermented broth produces a warmth and depth that feels distinctively rooted in Korean culinary tradition.
Clear Gul Dubu Guk (Korean Oyster Tofu Soup)
Gul-dubu-guk is a Korean oyster tofu soup, a winter dubu guk that pairs plump seasonal oysters with soft tofu in a clear kelp broth. Unlike plain dubu-jangguk, this version is seafood-forward, with briny oyster aroma leading the bowl. Timing the oysters precisely is the central technique: they go in just before the broth reaches a full boil, and even a minute too long on the heat turns them tough and grainy. Large-cut tofu blocks absorb the shellfish-infused liquid as they simmer, carrying the oyster depth into each spoonful. Thinly sliced radish adds natural sweetness, while soup soy sauce and garlic keep the seasoning clean.
Gul-guk (Clear Oyster Radish Soup)
Gul-guk is a clear Korean oyster soup built on the simplest possible base: water, radish, and fresh winter oysters. Radish goes in first and simmers long enough to give the broth a clean, cool sweetness before the oysters are added near the end to keep them plump and springy. Seasoning is deliberately restrained; soup soy sauce and minced garlic are sufficient because the oysters themselves deliver an intense, briny depth that needs no reinforcement. The marine aroma of the oysters and the refreshing quality of the radish combine to produce a broth that is light in appearance but full in flavor. A bowl spooned over hot rice makes a restorative breakfast or hangover remedy, and along Korea's southern coast this soup is one of the most common preparations during the winter oyster harvest.
Korean Oyster Seaweed Soup
Gul-miyeok-guk is a Korean seaweed soup with fresh oysters, traditionally served for postpartum recovery and birthday meals. The dish begins by sauteing rehydrated seaweed and oysters together in sesame oil, which coats every strand and shell in a nutty fragrance before water is added. As the soup simmers, the seaweed releases minerals and a subtle brininess that merges with the deep ocean flavor the oysters contribute. Soup soy sauce and minced garlic keep the seasoning clean and grounded without masking the seafood. Oysters reach their peak fat and sweetness between November and January, and using them during this season noticeably enriches the broth with a creamy, briny depth. The seaweed should be sauteed for no more than one or two minutes with the oysters to keep it tender rather than chewy before the water goes in.
Korean Oyster Soft Tofu Soup
Gul-sundubu-tang is a Korean soup that brings together briny fresh oysters and silky soft tofu in a lightly spicy broth. The flavor base starts with garlic and gochugaru bloomed in sesame oil, giving the entire pot a warm, aromatic heat from the first minute. Sliced zucchini and onion go in next, contributing a natural sweetness that tempers the chili. Water is added, and once simmering, spoonfuls of wobbly sundubu tofu are dropped in. The oysters go in at the very last moment so they stay plump and tender rather than shrinking into rubbery nuggets. Soup soy sauce adjusts the salt. The finished bowl is rust-red, gently spicy, and layered: the tofu melts on the tongue, the zucchini offers a mild crunch, and the oysters deliver bursts of sea flavor throughout.
Gumbo
Gumbo begins with flour and oil cooked to a dark roux, which supplies both the brown color and the body of this Louisiana stew. Finely chop 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, and 1 green bell pepper, and slice 150 g okra into rounds. Keep 250 g shrimp separate until the final stage so it does not toughen during the long simmer. Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Stir without stopping, scraping the bottom and corners, until no dry flour remains and the roux gradually approaches a chocolate-brown color. It should smell nutty rather than burnt; lower the heat immediately if the color races ahead or the aroma turns bitter. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring until the vegetables soften and loosen the browned material from the pot. Add 300 g smoked sausage and let its edges brown while some seasoned fat enters the base. Pour in 1000 ml chicken stock gradually, stirring each addition into the roux so the liquid stays smooth instead of forming floury lumps. Add the okra and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, reduce the heat, and maintain a gentle simmer for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the dark roux from catching on the bottom. Once the broth has a light, spoon-coating body, add the shrimp and cook for only 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat as soon as they are opaque and firm, then ladle the gumbo over steamed white rice.
Gyeran-guk (Egg Drop Anchovy Broth Soup)
Gyeran-guk is Korea's most accessible comfort soup: a clear, golden broth seasoned with soy sauce and garlic into which a beaten egg is drizzled in a thin stream. When the egg hits the rolling boil, it sets almost instantly into delicate, flower-like ribbons that drift through the liquid in pale yellow sheets. Sliced green onion and a drop of sesame oil added at the end bring a gentle fragrance that lifts the otherwise clean, mild broth. The result is soothing and restorative, mild enough for a sick day yet substantial enough to anchor a full meal of rice and side dishes. Its near-universal appeal on Korean dinner tables comes partly from the fact that nearly every household keeps eggs, soy sauce, and garlic on hand, making it the soup most likely to appear with no planning at all. From start to finish the bowl is ready in under ten minutes.
Korean Egg Drop Soup for Anju
Gyeran-tang is a light Korean egg drop soup seasoned with soup soy sauce and minced garlic in a clear broth. Beaten eggs are poured in a thin stream along chopsticks held just above the surface of the boiling liquid, breaking the flow into fine threads that set almost instantly into soft, silky ribbons. The garlic contributes a quiet background savoriness without dominating, and a pinch of black pepper adds a dry, peppery warmth that offsets the mildness of the egg. Sliced green onion scattered on top just before serving releases a fresh, grassy fragrance as it meets the steam. The soup comes together in under fifteen minutes and requires no special ingredients, making it a practical choice for breakfast or as a gentle restorative when a plain, comforting bowl is needed.
Haejangguk (Korean Pork Bone Hangover Soup)
Haejangguk is Korea's iconic hangover soup, a thick and fiery bowl built to restore the body after a long night of drinking. The base is a pork spine broth simmered for several hours until it turns milky, opaque, and deeply savory, carrying a weight that sits in the stomach rather than passing through it. Outer napa cabbage leaves called ugeoji are seasoned with doenjang and garlic before being added to the broth, contributing fibrous, chewy texture alongside the soup's fermented depth. Congealed blood, known as seonji, is a traditional inclusion cut into thick blocks: iron-dense and high in protein, it provides serious nutritional restoration and a visually striking dark contrast in the stone pot. Gochugaru delivers heat strong enough to draw sweat to the forehead, and Koreans have long held that this intensity helps flush toxins from the body and clear the mind after a night of drinking. The finished soup arrives still bubbling in its dolsot, and the first few spoonfuls tend to produce an involuntary exhale of relief. Dedicated haejangguk restaurants open before dawn to serve construction workers and late-night revelers, and the dish has occupied a fixed position in Korean culinary and drinking culture for centuries.
Korean Seafood Scorched Rice Soup
The structural transformation of scorched rice pieces within a hot seafood liquid defines the eating experience of this dish. Preparation starts with simmering shrimp, squid, and mussels to create a concentrated stock reflecting the natural saltiness of the sea. The central component involves nurungji, or the golden-brown sheets of rice toasted at the bottom of a pot until brittle. Adding these dried crusts to the boiling broth initiates a rapid absorption process. While the rice starts with a sharp crunch, it transitions into a chewy and slightly sticky consistency within minutes. Green bok choy provides a crisp visual and textural contrast to the softer seafood elements. A small addition of oyster sauce strengthens the savory profile of the liquid without overwhelming the other ingredients. The timing of consumption changes the texture significantly. Eating the rice immediately preserves the brittle state, while letting the dish sit for a few minutes creates a soft consistency similar to a thick porridge. The combination of toasted grain aromas and the savory seafood base provides a filling meal. Different seafood like abalone or scallops can elevate the ingredients, or tofu can be added for a lighter protein source. Storing pre-made dried rice crusts allows for easy preparation whenever a quick meal is needed.
Korean Boiled Seafood Broth
Haemul suyuk-tang is a clear Korean seafood soup where clams, shrimp, and squid are simmered together in lightly seasoned water with garlic and green onion. The defining quality of this dish is its restraint: no gochujang, no doenjang, no complex spice paste, just salt and the natural briny liquor each ingredient contributes to the pot. The clams open first and release their saline juice into the water, establishing the initial salinity of the broth. As the shrimp cook they turn pink and contribute a sweet current beneath the salt. The squid firms and curls into rings, adding a chewy textural counterpoint to the soft clam meat and the tender shrimp. Each of these three seafoods produces a different form of marine umami, and together they layer into a broth that reads as remarkably full despite being completely transparent. There is no competition from fermented paste or chili, so the ocean flavor comes through cleanly and directly. The visual effect of the finished bowl is also appealing: open clam shells scattered through the pot, curved pink shrimp, and white squid rings give the bowl a sense of abundance without heaviness. The soup works well as a light meal alongside rice, and it is the dish to reach for when the goal is to taste the seafood itself without interference from heavier seasonings.
Korean Seafood Hot Pot Soup
Haemul-tang is a Korean seafood hot pot that throws together crab, shrimp, clams, and squid in a fiery, brick-red broth. The liquid starts with gochugaru and plenty of garlic, building a spicy base that the seafood then amplifies with its own briny juices. Radish chunks soften as the pot bubbles, thickening the broth slightly and adding a cool sweetness behind the heat. Green onions and cheongyang peppers go in toward the end for a sharp, vegetal bite. The magic of haemul-tang lies in the convergence of flavors: crab shells release a sweet, crustacean stock; clams open to spill their liquor; shrimp and squid contribute distinct textures from snappy to chewy. The pot is brought to the table still at a rolling boil, and diners pick through the shells and tentacles while the broth continues to concentrate.
Korean Seafood & Chicken Herbal Soup
Haesintang is a premium Korean restorative soup that combines a whole chicken with abalone, octopus, and shrimp, simmered together in a single large pot for an extended period. The chicken goes in first and cooks for well over an hour, building a cloudy, collagen-rich stock with a naturally silky body. The seafood is added later in the process to avoid overcooking: abalone stays chewy, octopus retains its characteristic bounce, and shrimp turn just pink and stop there. The interaction between the poultry fat and the marine umami produces a broth with a depth that neither chicken alone nor seafood alone could achieve. Seasoning is deliberately restrained, typically garlic, green onion, and salt, so the flavors of the ingredients themselves define the soup rather than any added sauce or spice. In Korea, haesintang is categorized as a stamina food, most commonly eaten on the hottest days of summer in the traditional belief that rich nourishment combats heat fatigue. Its combination of two high-end protein sources places it firmly in the celebratory register of Korean home and restaurant cooking.
Hija Jiru Okinawan Goat Soup
Hija jiru is a clear Okinawan soup that simmers goat meat, called hija locally, in water for about three hours and finishes it with fuchiba mugwort, grated ginger, and salt. When refrigeration was scarce, slaughtering a goat meant distributing the meat through the community and sharing a large pot, and the soup became associated with restoring strength and marking celebrations. A quick hot-water rinse removes loose blood and debris from the meat before it enters fresh water. Foam and excess fat are skimmed repeatedly during the long gentle simmer so the broth stays clean rather than greasy. The washed mugwort leaves are cooked only briefly once the meat is tender enough to pull easily from the bone. Instead of heavily seasoning the whole pot, each bowl receives ginger and salt on the side, allowing every diner to adjust the strong goat aroma and salinity.
Hikado (Yellowtail and Chicken Soup Thickened with Sweet Potato)
Hikado is a Nagasaki winter soup of yellowtail, chicken, daikon, carrot, dried shiitake, and skin-on sweet potato cut into small even dice and simmered in dashi. Raw peeled sweet potato is grated in at the end to thicken the broth naturally. Its name is linked to the Portuguese word picado, meaning finely chopped, and the dish is said to have developed from Western-style stews encountered through seventeenth-century exchange, adapted to local fish and vegetables. No flour slurry is used, so the sweet potato leaves mild sweetness and a slightly rustic body. Blanch the yellowtail first, then stir after adding the grated potato so it cooks without scorching.
Hobeop-guk (Korean Zucchini Shrimp Soup)
Hobak-guk is a mild, clear Korean soup built around thinly sliced half-moon zucchini. Small shrimp go in with the zucchini, infusing the broth with a gentle seafood sweetness that supports rather than overpowers the vegetable's own delicate flavor. The seasoning is deliberately restrained - soup soy sauce and minced garlic only - so the zucchini's natural softness and subtle sweetness define the bowl. As the slices simmer, they turn translucent and tender while still holding their shape on a spoon. The entire soup comes together in about fifteen minutes, making it one of the fastest and most low-effort side soups in the Korean home kitchen. A handful of sliced green onion stirred in at the end brings a bright herbal finish to an otherwise quiet, comforting bowl.
Hone Kajiri Salt-Simmered Bone-In Pork
Hone kajiri is an Oku-Kuma specialty from Kumamoto that simmers large meaty pork or wild-boar bones, such as ribs, backbones, and pelvic sections, in water for about three hours and seasons them simply with salt and a little soy sauce. It is said to descend from hunters who used every scrap of meat left on the bones after butchering. Today pork versions are still prepared generously for regional events and large gatherings. The bones start in cold water so foam and excess fat can rise gradually and be skimmed thoroughly. After the first boil, low heat keeps the liquid from churning and allows the attached meat to soften without drying. Seasoning waits until the meat nearly falls from the bone. Each large piece is served intact, held by hand, and picked clean around the bone, while the deeply extracted broth is enjoyed alongside it.
Korean Mussel Seaweed Soup
Honghap-maesaengi-guk is a winter specialty from Korea's southern coast that pairs fresh mussels with maesaengi, a hair-thin green seaweed harvested in cold water. The seaweed is briefly sautéed in sesame oil before water and mussels are added, and as the pot simmers, the broth turns a deep green with a mineral-rich ocean fragrance. Soup soy sauce and garlic provide just enough seasoning to frame the natural salinity without masking it. The textural contrast is central to the experience: maesaengi slides across the palate in silky strands while the mussels offer a firm, meaty chew. Each spoonful delivers both the vegetal depth of seaweed and the concentrated brininess of shellfish, making it a dish greater than the sum of its two main ingredients.
Honghap-tang (Korean Mussel Garlic Broth)
Honghap-tang is a Korean mussel soup that proves how much flavor a single shellfish can deliver with almost no help. Shell-on mussels are placed in water with sliced green onion, garlic, and a light dusting of gochugaru, then brought to a boil. As the shells open, they release a briny, faintly sweet liquor that becomes the broth itself, clear in appearance but surprisingly concentrated in taste. The entire process takes about fifteen minutes. Timing matters here: once the shells have opened and the flesh has puffed, the pot comes off the heat immediately or the meat turns rubbery. In Korea, honghap-tang is a standard drinking companion, sipped between shots of soju while the mussel meat is pulled from the shells and dipped in vinegary chojang sauce. The combination of the bold, oceanic broth and the chilled sauce creates a cycle that is hard to stop. Mussels caught during the colder months, when they are fatter and richer, produce the most intensely flavored broth.
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.