Korean Mallow Soup (Joseon-Era Doenjang Mallow Soup)
Quick answer
Auk-guk - mallow doenjang soup - has been part of Korean home cooking since the Joseon era, when auk (mallow) was among the most commonly grown leafy greens in household...
What makes this special
- Auk-guk uses mallow leaves to create a signature silky texture in a traditional Joseon-era soybean broth.
- Mallow leaves release natural slipperiness, giving the broth a silky texture unlike spinach doenjang soup
- Salted fermented shrimp adds an extra layer of umami beyond doenjang alone
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Trim 150g mallow by removing the tough stems and keeping mostly the leaves.
- 2 Rub the leaves firmly with your hands until green water and slippery mucilage come out.
- 3 Pour 500ml anchovy broth into a pot and bring it to a strong boil over high heat.
Auk-guk - mallow doenjang soup - has been part of Korean home cooking since the Joseon era, when auk (mallow) was among the most commonly grown leafy greens in household kitchen gardens. An anchovy-kelp stock provides the base, and doenjang is pushed through a sieve directly into the simmering liquid so it dissolves without lumps. Garlic contributes a quiet, pungent undercurrent beneath the fermented paste. Mallow leaves, torn roughly by hand, wilt into the broth in under a minute. What separates auk-guk from other doenjang-guks is textural: the mallow's natural mucilage thickens the soup slightly and gives it a slippery, almost coating quality on the tongue, unlike the clean, transparent broth of spinach or radish versions. Korean folk tradition holds that nursing mothers ate auk-guk to support milk production, a belief that reflects how deeply the plant was embedded in everyday domestic life. The soup reaches its best in early summer when fresh mallow leaves are at their most tender.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Trim 150g mallow by removing the tough stems and keeping mostly the leaves.
Tear any large leaves by hand into bite-size pieces, then place them in salted water so the surface softens before washing.
- 2Step
Rub the leaves firmly with your hands until green water and slippery mucilage come out.
When the grassy smell weakens, rinse in clean water, then drain well in a sieve so the soup does not become watery.
- 3Control
Pour 500ml anchovy broth into a pot and bring it to a strong boil over high heat.
Once it bubbles actively, lower to medium heat so the fermented paste can dissolve cleanly without tasting harsh.
- 4Control
Set a fine sieve over the simmering broth and press in 2 tablespoons doenjang with a spoon.
Scrape the edge of the sieve as needed, because leftover lumps can cloud the broth and season it unevenly.
- 5Control
Stir in 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon salted shrimp, then simmer for about 1 minute.
Taste the broth before cooking longer, since salted shrimp can quickly make the soup too salty.
- 6Finish
Add the mallow only at the end and cook over medium heat for less than 1 minute.
Serve as soon as the leaves turn bright green, wilt softly, and the broth looks slightly thicker.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
Recipes That Go Well With This
More Soups →Based on shared ingredients and meal pairing
Geundae-guk (Korean Swiss Chard Doenjang Soup with Tofu)
Geundae-guk is a homestyle Korean soup made by simmering Swiss chard leaves and stems in anchovy stock seasoned with doenjang. Swiss chard, called geundae in Korean, has broader leaves and thicker stalks than spinach, giving the soup a more substantial bite, and the greens' mild bitterness pairs naturally with the fermented depth of doenjang into an earthy, grounding flavor. Cubed tofu is typically added alongside for protein and a soft contrast to the chewy greens, while minced garlic rounds out the aroma of the broth. The entire cooking process takes barely ten minutes once the stock is boiling, making this one of the quickest doenjang soups in the Korean home-cooking repertoire. In Korean households, this soup appears most often in spring and autumn when fresh chard is in season, though frozen chard works through the rest of the year without significantly changing the flavor of the broth. Overcooking the greens after adding doenjang softens the leaves until they lose their texture, so pulling the pot off the heat three to four minutes after the paste dissolves preserves the chard's pleasant chew.
Korean Crab Doenjang Stew
Gejang-jjigae is a Korean stew made by simmering a whole blue crab in an anchovy broth base seasoned with doenjang, the fermented soybean paste. The crab shell and meat release a concentrated seafood stock as they cook, and that liquid merges with the doenjang to create a broth that is simultaneously briny, earthy, and deeply savory. Using anchovy broth as the foundation amplifies the oceanic notes rather than diluting them, so both the doenjang umami and the crab sweetness come through at the same time. Tofu and zucchini absorb the rich cooking liquid throughout the simmering process, becoming flavorful in their own right rather than acting merely as filler. The tofu in particular pulls in the solids that settle from the fermented paste, softening into a silky texture that contrasts with the firmer crab meat. Picking the sweet crab meat out of the shell with chopsticks is one of the characteristic pleasures of eating this stew, and the contrast between the naturally sweet crab flesh and the bold, fermented broth gives each mouthful a satisfying complexity.
Korean Seasoned Seaweed Rice Bowl
This seasoned seaweed rice bowl stir-fries rehydrated wakame with garlic in sesame oil, seasons it with soy sauce, and spoons it over steamed rice for a quick and satisfying one-bowl meal. Soaking the dried seaweed until fully softened gives it a slippery yet pleasantly chewy texture that slides across the palate with each mouthful of rice. Cooking the garlic and seaweed together in sesame oil removes any raw oceanic sharpness and replaces it with a warm, nutty fragrance that layers over the natural sea-mineral character of the wakame. Soy sauce brings a savory edge that rounds out the seasoning and makes the bowl complete without any additional side dishes. With only five ingredients and a short cooking time from start to finish, this is one of the most efficient Korean rice bowls to prepare. The mineral richness of the seaweed gives the finished dish a depth that outpaces its simple ingredient list.
Korean Clam Doenjang Soup
Bajirak doenjang guk is a Korean home-style soup that brings together manila clams and doenjang to layer oceanic umami with fermented soybean depth in a single, clean broth. Starting the clams in cold water and bringing everything slowly to a boil draws flavor from the shells gradually rather than shocking them, building a stock base that grows richer as the temperature rises. The doenjang must be dissolved through a strainer rather than stirred in directly, because undissolved paste left in the soup creates a grainy texture and uneven seasoning. Since clams carry their own salt, the quantity of doenjang should be noticeably less than usual to prevent the finished soup from becoming over-salted; seasoning should always be adjusted at the end after tasting. Soft tofu cut into cubes adds a gentle, yielding protein bite, and Korean zucchini releases a quiet sweetness into the broth as it cooks through, softening the overall profile. Minced garlic introduced mid-cooking harmonizes with the fermented aroma of the doenjang without overpowering it. Scallion added in the final minute preserves its fresh, sharp note rather than turning limp and faded. No anchovy stock, no dried kelp, and no dashi of any kind is needed here, because the clams alone provide enough umami to build genuine depth. That restraint is what defines the soup: when the ingredients are kept simple, the natural sweetness and marine character of good clams come through cleanly, producing a broth that tastes more substantial than its short ingredient list suggests.
Serve with this
Korean Young Radish Kimchi
Young radish greens and their slender stems are salted briefly, dressed in a gochugaru-based paste, and fermented into a kimchi that defines Korean summer eating. The greens are more delicate than mature radish, absorbing the seasoning quickly while retaining a refreshing crunch that lasts well into fermentation. Gochugaru and anchovy fish sauce form the backbone of the paste, delivering heat and deep umami in equal measure, while garlic lends a pungent undercurrent that mellows as the fermentation progresses. Once dressed, the radish greens release their own moisture, creating a naturally occurring brine that becomes the hallmark of yeolmu kimchi: a tangy, chili-flecked liquid that can be spooned over cold noodles or rice. Even half a day at room temperature kicks off the fermentation, introducing a sharp, fizzy acidity that signals the kimchi is alive. Transferring it to the refrigerator slows the process and stabilizes the flavor at a bright, appetizing sourness. Draped over bibim-guksu or naengmyeon, it brings a cooling, spicy bite that defines the Korean summer table.
Korean Cauliflower Jangajji (Pickled Cauliflower)
Korean pickled cauliflower made by soaking bite-sized florets in a boiled-and-cooled brine of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. The dense, compact structure of cauliflower absorbs the pickling liquid at a gradual pace, developing flavor over time without turning soft - a texture advantage over vegetables like cucumber or radish that break down faster. Vinegar and sugar balance each other cleanly, and the soy sauce adds a low layer of umami beneath the bright, tangy top note. The pickle works well as a palate cleanser alongside fried or grilled food, and holds up just as well as a plain rice side. The preparation is simple: boil the brine, let it cool, pour it over the florets, and wait.
Korean Beoseot Deulkkae Jeon (Mushroom Perilla Pancake)
Mushroom and perilla seed jeon brings together oyster mushrooms and shiitake, sliced thin and folded into a batter built on perilla seed powder and a splash of soy sauce. Perilla seeds carry a heavier, slightly bitter nuttiness compared to sesame, and that quality anchors the earthy depth of the mushrooms rather than competing with it. Seasoning the batter directly with soy sauce means the pancake holds its own without a dipping sauce, though one on the side does not go amiss. Frying with enough oil gives the exterior a thin, crisp shell while the mushroom filling stays moist inside. Oyster mushrooms torn along their grain develop a pleasantly chewy bite as they cook; shiitake sliced fine distribute evenly so the whole pancake cooks at the same rate. It works as a makgeolli pairing or a straightforward side, and holds up well at room temperature - the perilla aroma actually deepens as it cools.
Similar recipes
Korean Spicy Chicken Soup
Dakgaejang is a spicy Korean chicken soup modeled directly on beef yukgaejang, using a whole chicken simmered, then shredded as the protein base with the same cooking liquid reserved as stock. The shredded meat, rehydrated bracken fern, and bean sprouts are tossed together in a seasoning of gochugaru, soy sauce, and sesame oil before being returned to the broth and simmered until the chili flakes dissolve fully into the fat. The result is a broth that is fiery and layered rather than flat-hot, with the depth that comes from cooking raw chili through an oil base. Bracken adds a chewy, almost meaty resistance to the texture, contrasting clearly with the snappy bean sprouts, and preparing a separate chili oil beforehand and stirring it into the pot deepens the heat with a roasted undertone that gochugaru alone cannot produce.
Korean Flounder Seaweed Soup
Gajami miyeok-guk is a seaweed soup built around a whole flounder simmered directly in the pot. Rehydrated miyeok is stir-fried in sesame oil before the liquid is added, a step that transforms the raw seaweed fragrance into something richer and more rounded. Once the flounder is added and the pot comes to a simmer, the mild, subtly sweet flesh of the white fish slowly infuses the broth, while the collagen released from the bones gives the soup a quiet viscosity and depth that water alone cannot produce. Soy sauce and garlic are the only seasonings needed, allowing the natural flavor of the fish and seaweed to carry the soup without interference. Blanching the flounder briefly in boiling water before adding it to the pot draws out blood and removes any trace of fishiness, resulting in a cleaner, more delicate broth. Along the East Sea coast, gajami miyeok-guk has traditionally been served as postpartum recovery food in place of the more common beef seaweed soup, valued for its lightness, digestibility, and the clean nourishment provided by the fish broth.
Korean Ox Bone Broth (Milky Collagen-Rich Marrow Soup)
Sagol-guk is a Korean bone broth soup made by simmering beef marrow bones for six hours or longer until the dissolved collagen and marrow turn the liquid a dense, opaque white that looks closer to milk than water. The seasoning is intentionally minimal, limited to green onion, garlic, and salt, because the entire point of the dish is the bone itself and what slow heat extracts from it over time. Before the long simmer begins, the bones are soaked in cold water to draw out the blood and then briefly blanched to remove any remaining impurities that would cloud or bitter the broth. The same bones can be reboiled three or four times, with each successive batch yielding a progressively lighter and cleaner-tasting liquid. The soup is served piping hot alongside rice, with salt and white pepper passed at the table so each person can season according to preference. Alongside seolleongtang and gomtang, sagol-guk forms one of the three pillars of Korea's long bone broth tradition, and its restorative reputation makes it a natural choice on cold days or when the body needs warmth and something uncomplicated.