Soups Recipes
434 recipes. Page 4 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 Clam Seaweed Onmyeon (Warm Noodle Soup)
Dongjuk miyeok onmyeon is a warm noodle soup where small surf clams are simmered to build a clear, deeply briny stock, then combined with rehydrated seaweed and thin wheat noodles. The cool, oceanic flavor of the clams forms the backbone of the dish, and simmering radish alongside rounds out the saltiness into something bright and clean. The seaweed unfurls in the hot broth, contributing its own quiet marine umami, and seasoning stays minimal with only soup soy sauce and salt so the ingredients speak clearly. This is a restorative bowl often eaten for morning recovery or when a light, clear-tasting meal is preferred. Dongjuk clams resemble Manila clams in shape but yield a deeper, more concentrated broth, making them effective even without additional stock. The thin noodles should be cooked until just tender and transferred directly to the bowl to prevent over-softening once the hot broth is ladled over.
Korean Mushroom Seaweed Soup
Rehydrated seaweed and two kinds of mushrooms - oyster and shiitake - are stir-fried in sesame oil first, before any water is added, so their flavors concentrate in the fat rather than leaching out into the broth. Water is added after that initial fry and the soup simmers for twenty minutes until the seaweed softens completely and releases a gentle oceanic character into the liquid. Without any meat-based stock, the umami comes entirely from the mushrooms and the natural glutamates in the seaweed, which is enough to give the broth genuine depth. The sesame oil blooms through the whole pot. Seasoned with soup soy sauce and salt at the end, the finished soup has a calm, layered flavor with soft seaweed and slightly chewy mushrooms providing contrasting textures in each bowl.
Korean Acorn Jelly Somyeon
Dotorimuk chae somyeon is a chilled Korean noodle dish that combines boiled somyeon and sliced acorn jelly in cold dongchimi radish water kimchi broth. The acorn jelly has a soft, slippery texture that contrasts with the fine, springy strands of the wheat noodles, and the fermented tang of the dongchimi broth wraps everything in a clean, refreshing acidity. Julienned cucumber adds crunch and a cool freshness, while a piece of kimchi contributes a spicy-savory accent. Refrigerating the acorn jelly or briefly soaking it in ice water beforehand keeps it firmer so it holds its shape when tossed with the noodles. A light drizzle of sesame oil and a scatter of sesame seeds bring a nutty warmth that plays well against the cold broth, making this a genuinely appetite-reviving meal for hot summer days.
Bo Kho (Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Shank Stew)
Bo kho is Vietnam's beef stew, born in the southern kitchens of Saigon where French colonial influence introduced slow-braised preparations and Vietnamese cooks adapted them with local aromatics. Beef shank and tendon are cut into large chunks and braised with lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon, and annatto oil - the annatto tinting the broth a vivid orange-red that sets bo kho apart from the darker tones of Western stews. Tomato paste and a spoonful of curry powder go in early, building a base that is simultaneously sweet, earthy, and warm. The stew simmers for two hours or more until the beef is fork-tender and the tendon has turned gelatinous, releasing its collagen into the broth and giving it a lip-coating richness. Carrots and daikon radish soften in the liquid during the final thirty minutes, absorbing the concentrated aromatics as they cook. Bo kho is eaten two ways - ladled over steamed rice, or alongside a crusty baguette torn for dipping into the broth. Street vendors in Ho Chi Minh City serve it from dawn, when the morning air carries the scent of star anise from their simmering pots across the alleyways.
Korean Spring Aralia Soybean Noodle Soup
Durup doenjang kalguksu is a seasonal Korean noodle soup that layers blanched aralia shoots over a rich doenjang broth built with potato and zucchini. The potato breaks down partially during simmering, thickening the broth naturally and adding a mild, floury sweetness that works alongside the deep fermented character of the soybean paste. Zucchini softens into the liquid as it cooks, contributing its own gentle sweetness, and garlic reinforces the savory base. Knife-cut noodles hold up well in the dense broth, their chewy bite providing texture against the soft vegetables. The aralia shoots must be blanched separately and placed on top just before serving, because cooking them directly in the boiling broth drives off the bitter-herbal spring fragrance that makes them worth using in the first place. This dish comes together only during the brief aralia season in early spring, when the combination of fermented depth and fresh mountain herb aroma in a single bowl is at its most vivid.
Botan Nabe Wild Boar Hotpot
Botan nabe is a hotpot from Tanba Sasayama City in Hyogo. Thinly sliced wild boar loin, grilled tofu, napa cabbage, burdock, taro, konnyaku, mushrooms, and other vegetables simmer in dashi seasoned with equal amounts of red and white miso. One account traces it to around 1908, when troops stationed in the area put boar caught during training into miso soup or brought the meat to local inns for a miso hotpot. Inns later arranged the slices like peony petals, linking the presentation to the name botan. It is served mainly in winter, at New Year, and for guests, with ground sansho added at the table.
Korean Spicy Freshwater Fish Noodle Soup
Eotang guksu is a regional noodle soup from the Chungcheong inland provinces, built on a broth made by simmering freshwater fish for an extended time until the bones and flesh give up their concentrated, savory extract. Freshwater fish releases fishy oils as it cooks, so straining the broth two or three times through a fine sieve to remove bone fragments and surface oils is what separates a clean, drinkable broth from a murky one. Doenjang is stirred in to neutralize residual fishiness while contributing a fermented, savory roundness. Gochugaru adds heat and color to the otherwise clear, oil-free liquid, giving direction to what might otherwise be a flat broth. A beaten egg poured in at the end forms soft, wispy ribbons that float across the surface. Somyeon noodles are added last. This dish evolved in landlocked Chungcheong communities that turned to river fish in place of coastal seafood, and its character reflects that resourcefulness.
Korean Clear Puffer Fish Soup
Bok-jiri is a traditional Korean clear soup featuring cleaned puffer fish, radish, and water dropwort. The cooking process starts by boiling sliced radish and garlic to build a mild, sweet base broth. Professionally prepared, food-safe puffer fish is then added to simmer on medium heat. Skimming off any rising foam is essential during this stage to keep the broth completely clear and light. The soup is seasoned simply with salt, allowing the natural, lean umami of the fish to shine through rather than being masked by heavy spices. In the final minute, fresh water dropwort and green onions are added, softening slightly to infuse the broth with a clean, herbal aroma that removes any remaining fishiness. This low-fat, high-protein soup is valued for its refreshing broth and is commonly served hot.
Korean Potato Ongsimi Kalguksu
Gamja ongsimi kalguksu is a Gangwon-do regional noodle soup featuring two distinct components in one bowl: knife-cut wheat noodles and small potato dumplings called ongsimi. The dumplings are formed by grating raw potato, squeezing out as much moisture as possible, then binding the pulp with potato starch and rolling the mixture into small round balls. As the ongsimi cook in the simmering anchovy-kelp broth, their exterior firms up and turns translucent while the interior retains the starchy, floury character of cooked potato, creating a double texture in each individual piece. The broth itself is kept light and clean to let the natural potato flavor of the dumplings come through, with thinly sliced zucchini adding a subtle sweetness. Removing excess moisture from the grated potato before shaping is the critical step that determines whether the dumplings hold their form or dissolve into the broth. This dish originates from Gangwon-do's potato farming culture and represents one of the region's most beloved comfort foods.
Jeju Sea Snail Soup
Bomal-guk is a sea snail soup that first sautés cooked snail meat and soaked sea mustard in sesame oil, then simmers them with finely blended innards. Begin with 200g of sea snails that have been thoroughly purged and boiled. Remove the meat from each shell and keep the innards separate. Blend the innards with a small amount of water until no coarse pieces remain. Preparing the two parts separately leaves the meat intact as a solid ingredient while allowing the innards to disperse through the broth. Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a pot, add the snail meat and 100g of soaked sea mustard, and stir-fry over medium heat for 3 minutes so the oil coats both ingredients. Pour in the blended innards and 1 liter of water, raise the heat, and bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, giving the blended innards time to combine with the liquid and the sea mustard time to soften. Taste near the end and adjust with up to 0.5 teaspoon of salt, then bring the soup back to a brief boil before serving. Blending the innards thoroughly is a key preparation step because coarse pieces would remain separate instead of becoming part of the broth. Stir from the bottom before portioning so each bowl receives sea snail meat, sea mustard, and the seasoned broth in an even ratio.
Korean-Chinese Chicken Broth Noodles
Gis-myeon is a Korean-Chinese noodle soup in which thin wheat noodles are served in a clear, pale chicken broth topped with delicate ribbons of egg that have been poured in a fine stream and cooked into floating wisps. The broth begins with chicken breast simmered in water with aromatics; once the stock is strained and clarified, the cooked chicken is shredded into fine threads and reserved as the main garnish. Beaten egg is drizzled very slowly into the gently boiling stock while stirring in one direction, which produces the characteristic silk-like strands rather than broken scrambled curds. The seasoning is deliberately minimal: only soup soy sauce and salt are used, keeping the broth light, clean, and transparent enough to see the noodles beneath. A small measure of starch slurry stirred in just before serving gives the liquid a subtle viscosity that allows it to cling to each strand of noodle, ensuring flavor in every bite rather than leaving a watery pool at the bottom of the bowl.
Korean Spring Cabbage Soybean Paste Soup
Bomdong doenjang-guk is a seasonal Korean home soup made by simmering spring cabbage and doenjang in rice-rinsing water, which adds a subtle starchy body to the broth and softens the saltiness of the paste. The thicker cabbage stems go in first to soften properly while retaining some bite, and the tender leaves are added at the end to hold their natural sweetness and color. Tofu, a pinch of red chili flakes, and green onion round out the bowl with depth and mild heat. A drop of sesame oil just before serving adds a nutty finishing aroma. Spring cabbage has a high water content and turns mushy quickly, so the leaves should be added less than two minutes before turning off the heat.
Korean Pork Noodle Soup (Jeju Milky Pork Bone Broth Noodles)
Gogi-guksu is a noodle soup from Jeju Island built on a long-simmered pork bone broth. Hours of boiling coax the collagen and marrow from the bones, turning the liquid milky-white and giving it a rich, full-bodied character that carries deep pork flavor in every spoonful. Green onion and garlic added to the pot during cooking suppress the gamey edge of the bones while rounding the flavor into something cleaner and more balanced. A single spoonful of doenjang stirred in before serving introduces fermented soybean depth that elevates the broth well beyond a simple bone stock. Thin somyeon noodles are cooked separately and rinsed under cold water after draining to wash off excess starch, which keeps them springy and distinct when submerged in the hot broth rather than turning soft and clumpy. In Jeju, sliced pork bossam is traditionally placed on top of the noodles before serving, and the combination of tender boiled pork and the opaque, warming broth makes this one of the most comforting bowls in the island's food tradition.
Borscht (Beet Soup)
Borscht simmers beef shank in broth, cooks beet, potato, carrot, onion, and cabbage in stages, and finishes each bowl with sour cream. Put 200g of beef shank and 1000ml of beef broth in a pot. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 60 minutes. When the beef is tender, remove it, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and keep the cooking broth in the pot. Shred 300g of beet, 100g of carrot, and 100g of onion into thin strands. Cut 150g of potato and 150g of cabbage into pieces that fit easily on a spoon. The beet is cooked separately before it enters the broth. Melt 15g of butter in a pan, add the shredded beet and 10ml of vinegar, and sauté until the beet has an even, deep red color. Add the potato, carrot, and onion to the beef broth first and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the sautéed beet, cabbage, and sliced beef and continue cooking for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with 4g of salt and 1g of black pepper, stir in 15g of minced garlic, and bring the soup to one brief boil before turning off the heat. Divide the hot borscht among bowls and portion 60g of sour cream over the servings. Sautéing the beet with vinegar helps retain its color, while adding the sour cream at the table lets each serving keep a visible contrast until it is stirred into the broth.
Korean Beef Bone Broth Thin Noodles
Gomguk somyeon is a Korean noodle dish that places thin wheat somyeon noodles inside a bowl of deeply extracted beef bone broth, known as gomtang, which has been simmered for many hours until it turns white and opaque. The long cooking process dissolves collagen from the bones into the broth, giving it a heavy, gelatinous body that coats the palate and clings to the thin noodles with each bite. This richness means even a plain bowl without elaborate toppings carries a profound, resonant savoriness. A few slices of boiled beef placed on top add a contrasting texture, soft enough to pull apart along the grain with chopsticks yet firm enough to provide a lean, meaty resistance that the broth alone cannot supply. The seasoning stays deliberately spare, just salt and black pepper, because adding more would interrupt the long, quiet depth that the hours of simmering have built into the stock. Sliced green onion scattered across the surface cuts through the fatty richness with a clean, bright edge, preventing the bowl from feeling one-dimensional.
Bouillabaisse (Provencal Saffron Seafood Stew)
Bouillabaisse is a Provencal seafood stew that originated with Marseille fishermen cooking whatever catch remained unsold, distinguished above all by saffron's golden color and subtle floral aroma carried through the broth. Fennel and tomatoes are sauteed in olive oil first to build a fragrant base, then saffron-steeped fish stock is added and brought to a simmer. Firm-fleshed fish such as monkfish or sea bass go in first, with shrimp and mussels added last to protect their texture - overcooked shellfish turns rubbery and loses all elasticity. The broth builds complexity from the successive contributions of each seafood type, with every variety releasing its own distinct character of ocean flavor into the pot. Prolonged simmering concentrates the broth intensely, so once the fish is added, maintaining high heat and finishing quickly is the key to a broth that is rich but still clear and clean. Traditionally, grilled baguette spread with garlicky rouille is dipped into the broth alongside the seafood.
Korean Seafood Knife-Cut Noodle Soup
Haemul kalguksu simmers hand-rolled, knife-cut wheat noodles in a broth built from dried kelp, Manila clams, shrimp, and squid. The kelp forms the stock's clean mineral base, and as the clams open during cooking they release a briny liquor that enriches the broth considerably without any additional seasoning. Sliced zucchini adds a mild sweetness while green onion brings a fresh fragrance to the pot, and soup soy sauce with minced garlic rounds out the flavor into something clean and umami-rich without heaviness. Because kalguksu noodles are rolled thin and cut wide by hand, they release some starch into the broth as they cook, giving the soup a subtle natural body. The wide, flat noodles have a distinctive chewy texture and soak up the seafood broth with every bite, so that lifting a chopstick-full of noodle and clam delivers a concentrated taste of the sea in a single mouthful.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Broccoli cheddar soup builds from a roux - butter and flour cooked together until the raw flour smell cooks out - which gives the soup its body and prevents the dairy from separating when added. Chicken stock and whole milk are whisked in gradually to keep lumps from forming, then broccoli florets go in and cook until fork-tender. The critical moment is adding the cheddar: heat must be reduced to low first, because the proteins in cheese seize and become grainy when exposed to high temperatures, rather than melting smoothly into the liquid. Sharp cheddar is the standard choice because its strong, salty punch holds up against the mild broccoli. Blending only half the soup while leaving florets intact creates a contrast between the velvety liquid and the chunks of green vegetable. A small addition of mustard or Worcestershire sauce deepens the savory complexity. Served inside a hollowed sourdough bread bowl, the crust absorbs the soup from the inside out, turning it into a satisfying complete meal rather than a starter.
Hechima Jiru (Luffa Miso Somen Soup)
Hechima jiru is a Kagoshima summer dish in which barley miso soup with young edible luffa is poured over boiled somen noodles. Dried sardines soak in water for 30 minutes and boil briefly to make the broth before barley miso is dissolved into it. Peeled luffa is cut into generous bite-size pieces and simmered until the flesh turns translucent, tender, and slightly thick. The somen is cooked separately and placed in bowls, then covered with the hot luffa soup and topped with finely cut myoga. Kagoshima uses young fruits during their July to September season, and the soup has also been part of local Obon meals.
Korean Chive Clam Soup (Briny Clam Broth with Garlic Chives)
Purged clams cook with Korean radish to produce a refreshing, clean broth, then garlic chives and cheongyang chili go in near the end for fragrance and heat. Simmering the radish alone for five minutes first establishes a mild sweetness in the base that balances the natural salinity of the clam liquor. The chives are added only after the heat is cut, preserving their vivid color and grassy scent. Any clam that does not open during cooking is removed before serving. Because the clam broth itself carries substantial umami, seasoning should be kept light with just a pinch of salt or a small measure of gukganjang.
Hokkien Prawn Mee (Spicy Prawn Noodle Soup)
Hokkien prawn mee is one of the defining noodle dishes of Singapore's hawker culture, built on a dual stock of roasted shrimp shells and slow-simmered pork bones. The shrimp are broken down into shells and meat before cooking begins - the shells are fried in oil with garlic until deeply browned and fragrant, and this step alone sets the ceiling of flavor the final broth can reach. Pork stock is added to the pan and the combined liquid simmers for twenty minutes before being strained, producing a broth that appears almost clear but carries a concentrated marine and pork depth. Egg noodles and the reserved shrimp meat are cooked directly in this strained liquid, and fish sauce is stirred in to reinforce the ocean character. A spoonful of sambal chili paste rests on the surface and gradually dissolves into the soup as the bowl is eaten, intensifying with each sip. Chopped scallion adds a fresh green note against the rich, amber broth.
Korean Garlic Chive Egg Soup
This simple home-style soup combines garlic chives, egg, and tofu in a light broth seasoned with soup soy sauce and garlic. Tofu cubes go in first to warm through for two minutes, then beaten egg is poured in a slow, circular stream and left undisturbed for thirty seconds to form silky ribbons. Chives and sesame oil are added in the final half-minute so their aroma stays vivid in the finished bowl. Because the ingredient list is short, cutting the tofu into even cubes and managing the heat carefully are what separate a polished result from a cloudy one. Pouring the egg too forcefully or stirring immediately breaks up the ribbons and muddies the broth.
Korean Mussel Soup Noodles
Honghap tangmyeon is a mussel noodle soup where a generous quantity of mussels is simmered to produce a deeply briny, clear broth that serves as the foundation of the entire dish without the use of prepared stock. The mussels release their concentrated sea flavor directly into the pot, and this self-made broth is what distinguishes the dish from simpler seafood noodle soups. Korean radish is cooked alongside from the start, lending a natural sweetness and a refreshing clarity to the liquid as it breaks down gently. Soup soy sauce and cooking wine adjust the seasoning and temper the salt that the mussels contribute, pulling the flavor into balance. Minced garlic and green onion build an aromatic layer that keeps any fishiness in check, leaving only a clean, deep savoriness in its place. A generous crack of black pepper over the steaming bowl sharpens the marine character of the broth and warms the palate. The noodles should not be overcooked; they need enough bite to hold up against the rich, hot liquid. A few slices of cheongyang chili on top add a brisk heat that makes the broth feel simultaneously cool and fiery, the defining sensation of good Korean seafood soup.
Korean Buchu Honghap Guk (Chive Mussel Soup)
Debearded mussels are simmered with radish in water to draw out a briny, full-bodied stock, with rice wine added early to neutralize any fishy off-notes while keeping the oceanic depth intact. Soup soy sauce and garlic season the broth through the middle of cooking, and Korean chives plus black pepper go in at the very end so their fresh fragrance carries through to the bowl. Cooking uncovered lets off-flavors escape with the steam. Any mussel that stays closed after five minutes of simmering must be removed. Starting the radish alongside the mussels from the beginning allows its natural sweetness to dissolve into the stock and support the briny umami from below.
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.