Korean Spicy Freshwater Fish Soup

Quick answer

Total time: 110 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Eotang is a traditional Korean soup from the Chungcheong region, made by boiling whole freshwater fish for over forty minutes to coax a thick, deeply savory broth from both flesh and bone.

The stock is strained twice through a fine sieve to remove every small bone, then returned to heat with radish, doenjang, and minced garlic for another twenty minutes of simmering. The earthy, nutty richness of freshwater fish blends with fermented soybean paste to build a broth of layered depth, and the radish softens fully over the long cook, helping the liquid take on a slightly silky body. Red chili flakes and thick-cut green onion stirred in at the end sharpen the heat and amplify the savory undercurrent of the broth. The preparation takes time and attention, but the dense, bone-drawn concentration of flavor the process produces is difficult to achieve any other way.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

freshwater fish600 gg

korean radish180 gg

red chili flakes1 tbsptbsp

soybean paste1 tbsptbsp

minced garlic1 tbsptbsp

green onion1 eaea

water2000 mlml

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Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Step

Clean 600g of freshwater fish by removing the scales and entrails, then rinse it several times under cold running water.

Drain it in a sieve so excess moisture and muddy flavors do not cloud the broth.
2

Control

Put the fish and 2000ml of water in a pot and bring it to a strong boil over high heat.

Once it rises, lower the heat slightly and simmer for at least 40 minutes without letting it overflow.
3

Step

When the flesh has broken down and the broth looks concentrated, turn off the heat.

Strain the liquid twice through a fine sieve or cloth, removing fine bones and floating sediment before continuing.
4

Prep

Transfer only the clean strained broth to a clean pot.

Add 180g of thin square-cut radish, 1 tablespoon of soybean paste, and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, stirring until the paste dissolves evenly.
5

Control

Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

The soup is ready for seasoning when the radish turns translucent and a spoon presses into it easily while the broth feels slightly thicker.
6

Finish

Stir in 1 tablespoon of red chili flakes and 1 diagonally sliced green onion, then simmer for 10 more minutes.

When the spicy aroma spreads through the broth, serve the soup hot.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Eotang features freshwater fish simmered for 40 minutes and double-strained for a thick broth.
Finish cue: The soup is ready for seasoning when the radish turns translucent and a spoon presses into it easily while the broth feels slightly thicker.
Avoid this: Drain it in a sieve so excess moisture and muddy flavors do not cloud the broth.