Soups Recipes
434 recipes. Page 18 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.
Korean Beef and Taro Stem Soup
Torandae soegogi-guk pairs rehydrated taro stems with beef brisket in a clear, soy-seasoned broth. The brisket is simmered until it yields a clean yet deeply flavored stock, with surface fat skimmed periodically to keep the liquid transparent. Taro stems, soaked until pliable, are added to the broth and cooked until they drink in the beefy liquid - each bite releases a rush of savory juice, while the stems' stubborn fibers maintain a chewy resistance that contrasts with the fork-tender meat. Soup soy sauce tints the broth a light amber and adds umami without heaviness, and minced garlic provides a quiet warmth in the background. Sliced scallion goes in at the end for freshness. The shredded brisket is typically arranged on top as a garnish, so each bowl delivers a balanced combination of tender meat, textured stems, and aromatic broth. It is a homestyle soup that benefits from simplicity, letting the interplay between the two main ingredients speak for itself.
Tsubon-jiru (Clear Chicken and Seven-Ingredient Soup)
Tsubon-jiru is a ceremonial soup from the Hitoyoshi and Kuma area of Kumamoto. Chicken, soaked shiitake, taro, chikuwa, konjac, carrot, and grilled tofu are cut to similar dice and simmered in a clear soy-seasoned broth. Families traditionally use an odd count of seven or nine ingredients and serve the soup with red rice and nishime for occasions such as the Okunchi festival. It also reflects thrift, turning trimmings left from nishime into a complete dish. Careful skimming keeps the stock clear, and tofu enters last so every cube remains neat.
Korean Rice Cake Dumpling Soup
Tteok-mandu-guk combines two of Korea's most beloved New Year foods - sliced rice cakes and handmade dumplings - in a single bowl of clear beef broth. The broth, typically drawn from simmered brisket or bone stock, serves as a clean canvas for the two main ingredients. Rice cake ovals absorb the hot liquid and swell into a pleasantly chewy mass, while the dumplings, stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, tofu, scallion, and garlic, release their savory filling into the soup as they cook. Starch from the dumpling wrappers lends the broth a slight silkiness that binds everything together. Julienned egg garnish and a pinch of crushed dried seaweed are scattered over the top, adding color and a whisper of ocean fragrance. The soup is seasoned simply with soup soy sauce, letting the stock and fillings carry the flavor. While practically it extends a pot of tteokguk to feed more people, the real appeal lies in the textural variety - sticky rice cakes and soft, yielding dumplings in the same spoonful create a satisfaction that neither achieves alone.
Korean Rice Cake Soup (New Year Sliced Rice Cake Beef Broth)
Tteokguk is the soup that marks the Korean New Year - eating a bowl is said to add one year to your age, and no Lunar New Year table is complete without it. Thinly sliced oval rice cakes made from garaetteok, a long cylindrical rice cake, are dropped into a clear beef broth that has been carefully skimmed of fat until it gleams. In the hot liquid, the rice cake surfaces soften just enough to release a faint starch that gives the broth the barest hint of body, while the interiors hold a dense, satisfying chew. The broth itself is kept deliberately simple - brisket simmered low and slow, seasoned only with soup soy sauce and salt - so that the rice cakes and their subtle sweetness remain the focus. Beaten egg swirled into the boiling soup forms wispy threads that add a delicate texture, and strips of egg garnish, crushed seaweed, and sometimes sliced scallion complete the bowl. Despite its apparent simplicity, tteokguk carries deep cultural weight: the white color of the rice cakes symbolizes purity and a fresh start, and the round shape of the slices represents coins and wishes for prosperity.
Uchigae Zoni (Rock Tofu and Taro Soup)
Uchigae zoni is a New Year soup from the Iya area of Tokushima made with rock-firm tofu and taro cooked separately in soy-seasoned stock. Although it belongs to the zoni tradition, this recorded version contains no rice cakes. Each bowl receives three taro pieces with two long tofu slabs crossed over them. For four servings, remove the heads and guts from 5g dried sardines and soak them with two dried shiitake in 800ml water for 30 minutes. Add 5g kombu and warm the pot at medium-low heat. Take out the kombu just before boiling, simmer gently for 3 minutes, and strain away the sardines and mushrooms. Season the resulting stock with 50ml soy sauce and 36ml mirin, then divide it among the separate cooking steps. Cut 600g rock tofu into eight slabs about 5cm by 10cm by 1cm. Simmer them in 300ml seasoned stock for 5 minutes and keep them warm in that liquid. If rock tofu is unavailable, press extra-firm tofu thoroughly so the crossed pieces retain their shape. Peel 500g taro and form twelve pieces of about 40g each. Parboil them for 5 minutes and rinse away the surface starch, which helps keep the final broth clear. Cook the taro with 250ml seasoned stock and 3g sugar for 15 minutes at low heat, stopping when a skewer enters. Put three taro pieces in every bowl, cross two tofu slabs over them, and reheat the remaining 200ml stock. Pour 50ml into each serving and bring it to the table immediately.
Uchimame-jiru (Flattened Soybean Miso Soup)
Uchimame-jiru is a Shiga winter soup built around uchimame, soybeans soaked, briefly boiled, rested hot, and flattened one by one with a wooden mallet into flower-like discs. The beans first simmer in dashi with one quarter of the miso, then taro, turnip, aburaage, tofu, and the remaining miso complete the pot. Flattening lets soybeans cook faster than whole beans, absorb seasoning through the center, and release nutty body into the broth. The method developed as a way to preserve winter protein in snowy northern Shiga and the soup is often served as oko-jiru during Buddhist Hoonko gatherings. Sweet turnip and taro, soft tofu and fried tofu, and tender flattened beans create several gentle textures in one bowl. Even thickness and early seasoning of the beans define the result.
Korean Burdock Root Soup (Earthy Burdock and Beef Clear Broth)
Ueong-guk is a clear Korean soup that highlights the earthy, almost nutty character of burdock root. Julienned burdock is first stir-fried in sesame oil with thinly sliced beef until the root's raw edge mellows and a toasted aroma rises from the pan. Water is then added and the pot brought to a simmer, during which the burdock's tough fibers gradually soften while maintaining enough structure to provide a pleasant chew. The broth takes on a light brown tint from the initial stir-fry, carrying the sesame and caramelized burdock flavors through to the last spoonful. Soup soy sauce seasons the liquid with umami rather than straight salt, and minced garlic stirred in near the end adds a quiet warmth. Burdock is naturally high in dietary fiber, giving this soup a reputation as a digestive-friendly choice. The root is at its best from autumn through winter, when its sugars concentrate underground, and the soup's understated flavor makes it an easy complement to a multi-dish Korean meal.
Korean Napa Outer Leaf Soybean Soup
Ugeoji doenjang-guk is a deeply comforting soybean paste soup made with the tough outer leaves of napa cabbage that might otherwise be discarded. The leaves are first massaged with doenjang, perilla oil, and garlic, a step that drives the fermented paste deep into the cabbage's thick veins so that when the soup simmers, the flavor releases gradually into the broth. Rice-rinsing water replaces plain stock as the cooking liquid, adding a gentle starchiness that rounds the doenjang's salt into something softer and more enveloping. As the ugeoji cooks down, it turns from a leathery sheet into a silky, almost melting tangle that drapes over the spoon and floods the mouth with concentrated vegetable-and-miso flavor. The broth itself becomes a murky, golden-brown pool of umami, tasting of earth, fermentation, and the quiet bitterness that only well-cooked greens provide. Cubed tofu gives textural relief, and thin rings of cheongyang chili pepper, if added, introduce a sharp heat that cuts the richness. It is a soup that transforms humble ingredients into something far greater than their parts.
Korean Napa Leaf Hangover Soup
Ugeoji haejang-guk is Korea's answer to the morning after - a hangover soup built on a foundation of long-simmered beef brisket broth with napa cabbage outer leaves and soybean sprouts. The brisket provides a clean, meaty depth to the broth, while the ugeoji, pre-seasoned with doenjang, breaks down during the simmer and infuses the liquid with a savory, fermented richness. Soybean sprouts, added later so they keep their crunch, contribute a refreshing brightness that lightens what would otherwise be a heavy bowl. The seasoning balances doenjang and a touch of gochugaru, producing a broth that is spicy enough to wake the palate but not so aggressive that a sensitive stomach rebels. Minced garlic and sliced scallion layer in additional aromatics. Shredded brisket arranged on top provides protein and substance, making each bowl a complete meal. The combination of warm broth, fermented depth, and crunchy sprouts works on the body like a reset, which is exactly why haejang-guk shops across Korea fill up every morning with bleary-eyed customers seeking exactly this bowl.
Korean Beef Cabbage Leaf Soup
Ugeoji soegogi-guk is a spicy, savory Korean beef soup that draws its character from pre-seasoned napa cabbage outer leaves and a brisket-based broth. The ugeoji is rubbed with doenjang and gochugaru before it enters the pot, so when it meets the simmering beef stock, it releases both fermented soybean depth and a steady chili warmth that stains the broth a ruddy brown. The brisket, simmered until the fibers separate easily, is shredded and returned to the pot, adding lean, clean beef flavor throughout. As the ugeoji softens over extended cooking, it absorbs the surrounding liquid like a sponge, so each bite delivers a concentrated burst of the combined seasoning. Daikon radish, if included, tempers the heat with its natural sweetness, while generous amounts of sliced scallion perfume the entire bowl. The overall effect is a soup that is warming and substantial without being aggressive - the spice level is calibrated to soothe rather than overwhelm, which makes it a go-to choice on cold days when the body needs both heat and substance.
Korean Beef Trotter Soup (Silky Collagen-Rich Slow-Cooked Broth)
Ujok-tang is a slow-cooked Korean soup made from beef trotters, prized for the extraordinary amount of collagen packed into the bones, tendons, and skin of the cut. The trotters are first soaked for hours in cold water to purge blood and any off-flavors, then placed in a deep pot and simmered at a gentle roll for four to six hours. During that time, the collagen gradually dissolves into the cooking liquid, transforming it from plain water into a milky, opaque broth with a viscous body that coats the spoon and sets firm when chilled. Regular skimming of fat and foam throughout the process ensures the final broth tastes clean rather than greasy. The trotter meat itself falls into two distinct textures: the skin and tendons turn gelatinous and springy, offering a bouncy chew, while the small pockets of muscle between the bones are meltingly soft. Traditional seasoning is limited to coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, allowing the broth's natural richness to speak. A dab of hot mustard or a spoonful of salted shrimp paste on the side provides a sharp contrast that keeps each mouthful interesting. Ujok-tang has long been regarded as a restorative food, particularly valued for its supposed benefits to joints and skin.
Korean Rockfish Soup (Whole Rockfish in Spicy Radish Broth)
Starting with a base of boiled radish to sweeten the water, this rockfish soup relies on using the entire fish to build a complex broth. Red pepper flakes, garlic, and soup soy sauce provide the seasoning before the fish and tofu go into the pot for a fifteen-minute simmer. The collagen and juices released from the rockfish bones create a physical thickness in the liquid that cannot be replicated with fillets alone. Just before the heat is turned off, a handful of water parsley adds a fresh contrast to the spicy, ocean-heavy profile of the soup. While the small bones of the rockfish require slow and careful eating, they are exactly what gives this dish its characteristic intensity. A slice of ginger added early in the process works to neutralize fishy scents. For extra heat, some sliced cheongyang chilies can be added, or a spoonful of ground perilla seeds can be stirred in at the end to introduce a nutty, creamy layer to the texture. This soup pairs naturally with a bowl of steamed rice, where the process of picking meat from the bones becomes a central part of the eating experience.
Vichyssoise (French and potato soup)
Vichyssoise is a cold French soup made by cooking thinly sliced leeks and cubed potatoes in butter, simmering them in chicken stock, blending the mixture until smooth, and finishing with heavy cream. To maintain the pale cream color and subtle sweetness, only the white parts of the leeks are used and cooked slowly over medium low heat without browning. Straining the blended soup through a fine sieve removes any remaining fibrous pieces from the leeks to create a velvety texture. Since cold serving temperatures dull the tongue's sensitivity to salt, the soup is seasoned with white pepper and salt while still warm to a slightly stronger level than usual. This ensures that the flavor remains balanced after the dish is thoroughly chilled. Serving this soup cold provides a clean, smooth, and gentle start to a multi-course meal.
Korean Meatball Soup
Wanja-tang is a clear Korean soup featuring handmade meatballs of ground beef, crumbled tofu, egg, garlic, and green onion. Each meatball is dropped into simmering anchovy broth, where it floats to the surface as it firms up and then cooks for eight more minutes until done through. Soup soy sauce is the main seasoning, keeping the broth transparent and letting the meaty flavor of the wanja come forward. Kneading the mixture thoroughly before shaping is essential, as it binds the tofu and beef into a cohesive ball that holds together during boiling.
Dongara-jiru (Whole Cod and Offal Miso Soup)
Dongara-jiru is a fisherman's winter soup from the Shonai area of Yamagata. Pieces of cod flesh, head, bones, liver, and milt or roe are simmered in water with sake, then seasoned with miso. Dongara refers to the bony head and trimmings, reflecting the practice of using winter spawning cod from head to tail. Liver enriches the broth with fat and depth, while milt or roe adds a soft texture. For a conservative home method, use a professionally cleaned cod hot-pot set that contains only identified edible parts and excludes gallbladder, gills, and intestines. Cook the flesh and every edible organ to at least 74°C before serving.
Yanagi Batto (Willow-Leaf Buckwheat Dumpling Soup)
Yanagi batto is a miso soup from northern Iwate. Buckwheat flour is kneaded with crumbled firm tofu and warm water, rolled into a 1cm rope, torn into 5cm lengths, and flattened into willow leaves with slightly plump centers. Daikon, carrot, burdock, and shimeji simmer in dried-sardine broth; half the miso seasons the vegetables before the dumplings cook directly in the soup, and the rest goes in with rehydrated frozen tofu and desalted takana pickle. It is simpler than cutting fine soba noodles but keeps a springy buckwheat bite. Press the center no thicker than 4mm and continue simmering after pieces float so no raw dough remains.
Yangpyeong-style Hangover Soup
Yangpyeong-style hangover soup combines prepared beef tripe, blanched beef blood curd, and soybean sprouts in beef bone broth with doenjang, garlic, chili flakes, green onion, and chili oil. Blanch 300 g blood curd in boiling water, rinse it in cold water, and cut it into bite-size pieces. If the package provides separate heating or storage directions, follow those directions first. Use 200 g beef tripe from a supplier that identifies its preparation state and cooking method. Cook it through according to the product instructions until tender, then slice it thinly. Pour 1 L beef bone broth into a pot and strain in 15 g doenjang so no lumps remain. Add the prepared tripe and bring the broth to a boil. Add 150 g soybean sprouts, the blanched blood curd, 20 g minced garlic, and 10 g chili flakes, then simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add 100 g coarsely cut green onion and 15 ml chili oil at the end and return the soup to a simmer. Finish with the measured 5 g salt. Because tripe and blood curd products can be sold at different preparation stages, their documented product directions determine the preliminary cooking rather than a single assumed time. The main soup sequence begins only after those components are ready.
Korean Young Radish Clam Soup
Korean young radish and clam soup builds a clear broth in a deliberate order: radish first for gentle sweetness, clams next for briny depth, and the greens last to preserve their fresh bite. After purging 500 g manila clams, rub the shells together under running water and discard cracked clams or any that remain open when tapped. Trim 220 g young radish greens into 4 cm lengths and slice 120 g Korean radish thinly. Simmer the sliced radish in 1300 ml water for 6 minutes, until its edges begin to look translucent, then add the clams and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. As soon as most shells open, set the burner to medium-low; skim away excess foam and discard any clams that stay closed through the end of cooking. Season first with 1.5 tablespoons soup soy sauce, then add the young radish greens and sliced Cheongyang chili for only 3 minutes. Add the measured 0.4 teaspoon salt gradually after tasting because the clams already contribute salinity. Stop cooking while the greens remain bright and lightly crisp. The finished soup balances clean clam savoriness with softened radish, fresh green aroma, and a restrained chile heat.
Korean Young Radish Doenjang Soup
Yeolmu doenjang-guk is a summer soybean paste soup that uses rice-rinse water as its base, giving the broth a smoother texture than plain water would. Young radish greens are cut into five-centimeter lengths and simmered for eight minutes until they soften and lose their raw grassy edge. Diced tofu, garlic, and a half tablespoon of chili flakes go in next, cooking for six more minutes so the tofu absorbs the fermented soybean flavor. Soup soy sauce and green onion finish the pot, resulting in a mellow, earthy soup that complements a simple rice-and-banchan meal.
Korean Soft Tofu Shrimp Soup
Yeondubu-saeu-guk is a clear Korean soup where anchovy-kelp stock, radish, and shrimp provide the flavor, and soft tofu adds a creamy contrast. Radish simmers for eight minutes to release its natural sweetness, then peeled and deveined shrimp cook for three minutes, contributing a clean seafood taste without heaviness. Soft tofu is spooned in at the very end and heated for just two minutes so it stays intact and silky. Green onion and a touch of salt close out the seasoning, leaving a gentle, soothing bowl that works well as a light meal or alongside heavier dishes.
Korean Lotus Root Soup (Sliced Lotus Root in Anchovy Broth)
Yeongeun-guk is a clear soup built around thinly sliced lotus root simmered in anchovy broth. The lotus root is peeled and soaked in cold water immediately to prevent browning, then cooked for twelve minutes, which softens it slightly while preserving the characteristic crunch. As the starch leaches out, the broth takes on a subtle thickness. Garlic, soup soy sauce, salt, and a dusting of black pepper are the only seasonings, letting the lotus root's gentle sweetness remain the focal point. Low in calories and high in dietary fiber, this soup fits comfortably into a lighter meal.
Korean Octopus and Tofu Hot Pot
This Korean hot pot features fresh octopus and soft tofu cooked in a clear, savory anchovy broth. The preparation starts by simmering thinly sliced Korean radish in the broth for eight minutes to extract a natural sweetness and refreshing depth. After seasoning the base lightly with soup soy sauce and minced garlic, the sliced tofu and cleaned octopus are added to cook for five minutes. Precise timing is essential, as the octopus must only simmer until its legs curl and turn opaque to prevent the flesh from becoming tough. To finish, fresh water dropwort and green onion are placed on top and simmered for another three minutes. The water dropwort adds a bright herbal aroma that neutralizes any seafood odor while providing a crisp texture. This dish is served hot at the table, allowing diners to enjoy the tender octopus and clean broth together.
Korean Octopus Clear Soup
Yeonpo-tang is a Korean clear octopus soup cooked with minimal seasonings to highlight the natural qualities of its ingredients. The cooking process starts by simmering sliced Korean radish in anchovy stock for ten minutes to establish a clear and sweet vegetable base. Cleaned octopus pieces and minced garlic are then added to the boiling broth and cooked for only three minutes to prevent the seafood from turning rubbery. After adding green onions and skimming off any foam to keep the broth clear, the soup is seasoned with salt. Right before turning off the heat, water dropwort is added for twenty seconds to wilt. This introduces a fresh herbal aroma that complements the ocean flavor of the tender octopus.
Yukgaejang (Fiery Shredded Beef and Vegetable Soup)
Yukgaejang is a fiery Korean beef soup that starts with brisket simmered until it can be pulled apart along the grain into long, thin shreds. The shredded meat is then hand-mixed with red pepper flakes, soup soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced garlic so the seasoning penetrates each strand before the final cook. Bracken fern, bean sprouts, and generous lengths of green onion join the pot, and everything boils together for thirty minutes in the brisket stock, which turns a deep red from the chili. The fern contributes an earthy chew, the sprouts add a clean crunch, and the green onion breaks down into the broth, lending natural sweetness that tempers the heat.
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.