Korean Freshwater Crab Spicy Soup
Quick answer
- Total time
- 70 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
This spicy freshwater crab soup is a traditional Korean regional dish featuring halved crabs simmered in a rich broth.
Read more
The preparation starts by scrubbing the crabs and soaking them in light saltwater for five minutes to reduce any muddy odor. A base broth is made by boiling sliced radish and soybean paste, which is strained through a sieve to keep the texture smooth. The crabs are then added and boiled for ten minutes while skimming the foam. A combination of red pepper flakes and Cheongyang chilies builds a double layer of heat, complemented by minced garlic and soup soy sauce. Zucchini, green onions, and chili peppers are added during the final five minutes of cooking, allowing their natural sweetness to balance the spicy broth. Simmering for forty minutes in total extracts the deep, briny flavor of the freshwater crab.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Scrub 800g freshwater crabs thoroughly with a brush, including the shell and legs.
Remove the apron flap and cut in half.
- 2Prep
Cut 220g radish into thick slices, 120g zucchini into half-moons, and slice the green onion and 2 chili peppers diagonally.
- 3Control
Add 1.6L water and the radish to a pot.
Press 1 tbsp doenjang through a strainer into the pot. Boil over medium heat for 12 minutes to build the broth base.
- 4Control
Add the crabs and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, skimming off foam as it rises to keep the broth clean.
- 5Control
Add 2 tbsp red pepper flakes, 1.5 tbsp minced garlic, and 1 tbsp soup soy sauce.
Simmer 8 more minutes to build the spicy heat.
- 6Season
Add the zucchini, green onion, and chili peppers.
Cook 5 minutes more, then taste and adjust with salt or soup soy sauce.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Chamge-tang extracts dense aroma from freshwater crabs simmered with spicy gochugaru and fermented soybean paste.
- Finish cue
- Add the zucchini, green onion, and chili peppers.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
70min, 10 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
Official cooking and safety guidance
-
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the center to 74°C.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
Sources checked 2026-08-03
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