Gamjaguk (Potato Doenjang Anchovy Soup)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 3 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
Gamjaguk is a clear, mild Korean soup built on a foundation of anchovy stock with potatoes as the main ingredient, seasoned with either doenjang or plain salt.
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As the potatoes cook through, they release starch gradually into the broth, giving it a subtle body that makes each spoonful feel substantial without turning the liquid cloudy. When doenjang is used, the fermented paste contributes a layered, earthy savoriness that wraps around the gentle sweetness of the potato. Seasoning with salt alone lets the potato's natural, unadorned flavor stand at the center without competition. Garlic and green onion are added as the aromatic base, providing a mild, savory fragrance that keeps the broth from tasting flat. A handful of zucchini slices added midway through cooking introduces a soft, yielding texture and a touch of pale green color. The potatoes need to be pulled from heat at the point when a chopstick slides through without resistance, because overcooking breaks them apart and muddies the broth. With only a few ingredients required, this soup comes together quickly even when the refrigerator is nearly empty, which is part of why it appears on Korean tables more consistently than almost any other soup.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Peel 3 potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes.
Rinse them briefly in cold water to wash away surface starch, then slice half a zucchini into 1 cm half-moons so it cooks quickly without falling apart.
- 2Control
Slice the green onion on the bias and mince 2 garlic cloves.
Pour 900 ml anchovy broth into a pot and bring it to a full boil over high heat before adding seasoning, so the doenjang dissolves cleanly.
- 3Heat
Set 1 tablespoon doenjang in a fine strainer over the boiling broth and press it through with a spoon.
Stir until no lumps remain and the broth turns evenly tan with a clear fermented aroma.
- 4Control
Add the potatoes and minced garlic, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 8 minutes.
When the potato edges look slightly translucent, they have started releasing starch without yet clouding the broth too much.
- 5Control
Add the zucchini and green onion and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes more.
Avoid vigorous stirring, which can break the potatoes; instead, press one piece gently with a ladle to check that it is tender.
- 6Finish
When a chopstick slides into a potato without resistance, lower the heat immediately or turn it off.
Serve the soup hot before the potatoes crumble, keeping the broth light, lightly thickened, and clear.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Gamjaguk builds a mild foundation of anchovy stock and potatoes seasoned with fermented doenjang.
- Finish cue
- Serve the soup hot before the potatoes crumble, keeping the broth light, lightly thickened, and clear.
- Avoid this
- Avoid vigorous stirring, which can break the potatoes; instead, press one piece gently with a ladle to check that it is tender.
- Storage and reheating
- With only a few ingredients required, this soup comes together quickly even when the refrigerator is nearly empty, which is part of why it appears on Korean tables more consistently than almost any other soup.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
35min, 6 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
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