Korean Anchovy Broth Thin Noodle Soup
Quick answer
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 th...
What makes this special
- Dried anchovies and dashima kelp yield a clear, briny broth for these thin wheat noodles.
- Headless anchovies simmered 15 minutes yield a clear, briny dashi
- Rinsing noodles separately in cold water keeps the broth from clouding
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Remove the innards from 15g dried anchovies to prevent bitterness.
- 2 Set the pot over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edge, then lower to medium-low.
- 3 Strain out the anchovies and dashima, leaving only the broth.
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.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Remove the innards from 15g dried anchovies to prevent bitterness.
Lightly wipe 5g dashima with a damp cloth, then place both in a pot with 1.2L water before turning on the heat.
- 2Control
Set the pot over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edge, then lower to medium-low.
Simmer gently for 15 minutes, skimming foam so the broth stays clear and clean tasting.
- 3Season
Strain out the anchovies and dashima, leaving only the broth.
Add 1.5 tbsp guk-ganjang and 0.5 tsp salt, bring it just to a brief boil, then keep it hot.
- 4Heat
Bring plenty of water to a rolling boil in a separate pot and fan in 160g somyeon.
Cook for about 3 minutes, adding a small splash of cold water if the foam rises too high.
- 5Step
When the noodles are tender but still lightly springy in the center, drain them immediately.
Rinse two or three times in cold water while rubbing the strands, then leave them in a colander to drain well.
- 6Finish
Place the drained somyeon in bowls and ladle over plenty of hot broth.
Finish with sliced green onion, 2 crumbled sheets of roasted gim, and 0.5 tbsp sesame oil, then serve while hot.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
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