Korean Seafood & Chicken Herbal Soup
Quick answer
- Total time
- 105 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Haesintang is a premium Korean restorative soup that combines a whole chicken with abalone, octopus, and shrimp, simmered together in a single large pot for an extended period.
Read more
The chicken goes in first and cooks for well over an hour, building a cloudy, collagen-rich stock with a naturally silky body. The seafood is added later in the process to avoid overcooking: abalone stays chewy, octopus retains its characteristic bounce, and shrimp turn just pink and stop there. The interaction between the poultry fat and the marine umami produces a broth with a depth that neither chicken alone nor seafood alone could achieve. Seasoning is deliberately restrained, typically garlic, green onion, and salt, so the flavors of the ingredients themselves define the soup rather than any added sauce or spice. In Korea, haesintang is categorized as a stamina food, most commonly eaten on the hottest days of summer in the traditional belief that rich nourishment combats heat fatigue. Its combination of two high-end protein sources places it firmly in the celebratory register of Korean home and restaurant cooking.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Trim large fat deposits and any remaining innards from 1 whole chicken.
Rinse the cavity well under cold water, then drain it briefly so loose blood and residue do not cloud the broth too heavily.
- 2Control
Put 2200 ml water, the chicken, 1 green onion, and 12 garlic cloves in a large pot.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off foam as it rises to keep the broth clean.
- 3Control
Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for at least 1 hour.
Keep a gentle bubbling pace; the broth should turn cloudy and the chicken meat should soften before adding seafood.
- 4Prep
Scrub 4 abalone well with a brush while keeping the shells on, and clean 2 small octopus by removing the innards.
Cut the octopus into manageable pieces; keep abalone innards only if a deeper broth is desired.
- 5Control
Add the abalone and octopus to the broth and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Stop pushing this stage once the octopus turns opaque and springy, since longer cooking can make it tough.
- 6Finish
Add 150 g shrimp at the end and simmer only 3 to 5 minutes.
When the shells turn red and the flesh is just firm, season with 1 tsp salt, taste the broth, and serve immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Haesintang delivers a restorative soup pairing a whole chicken with fresh abalone and octopus.
- Finish cue
- Stop pushing this stage once the octopus turns opaque and springy, since longer cooking can make it tough.
- Avoid this
- Add shrimp at the end to avoid overcooking.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
105min, 8 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
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