Korean Young Napa Soybean Paste Soup

Quick answer

Total time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Eolgari-doenjang-guk is a traditional Korean soup made with young napa cabbage and fermented soybean paste.

The recipe uses rice-rinse water as the soup base instead of plain water, which helps reduce the sharpness of the soybean paste and adds a mild, rounded starchiness. Straining the doenjang through a sieve before boiling is recommended to ensure a smooth, lump-free broth. Once the soup comes to a boil, anchovy powder and minced garlic are stirred in to establish a rich umami depth. The young napa cabbage is added next and cooked briefly so the leaves retain their fresh flavor and crisp bite. In the final stage, sliced green onions and cheongyang chilies are added, simmering for just two minutes to infuse the broth with a clean, spicy finish. This comforting soup pairs naturally with a hot bowl of steamed rice.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

young napa cabbage300 gg

soybean paste40 gg

rice-rinse water1400 mlml

minced garlic15 gg

green onion70 gg

hot green chili10 gg

soup soy sauce15 mlml

anchovy powder8 gg

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Finish

Cut 300g young napa cabbage into 4cm pieces.

Slice 70g green onion and 10g hot green chili into 0.5cm rounds, then keep them separate so the finishing aromatics can go in at the right time.
2

Step

Pour 1400ml rice-rinse water into a pot and set 40g doenjang in a fine strainer.

Press and stir until no firm lumps remain, which keeps the broth smoother and prevents gritty paste from settling.
3

Control

Place the pot over medium-high heat.

When bubbles gather around the edges, add 8g anchovy powder and 15g minced garlic, then stir along the bottom so the powder disperses instead of clumping or sticking.
4

Heat

When the broth reaches a steady boil, add the young napa cabbage and press it gently under the liquid.

It will look crowded at first, but after about 2 minutes the leaves should wilt and fit easily.
5

Control

Lower to medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, then season with 15ml soup soy sauce.

The cabbage stems should look slightly translucent but still hold their shape, not collapse completely.
6

Control

Add the sliced green onion and hot green chili, then simmer only 2 more minutes.

Once their aroma rises and the broth tastes balanced, turn off the heat before the cabbage becomes tough or mushy.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Eolgari doenjang guk uses starchy rice-rinse water to soften the fermented soybean paste and young napa leaves.
Finish cue: The cabbage stems should look slightly translucent but still hold their shape, not collapse completely.
Avoid this: Once their aroma rises and the broth tastes balanced, turn off the heat before the cabbage becomes tough or mushy.
Substitution: The recipe uses rice-rinse water as the soup base instead of plain water, which helps reduce the sharpness of the soybean paste and adds a mild, rounded starchiness.