Kongbiji-tang (Soybean Pulp Kimchi Pork Soup)
Kongbiji-tang is a thick, porridge-like Korean soup made from ground soybean pulp-the byproduct of tofu production-simmered with pork and aged kimchi. The soy pulp gives the broth a creamy, almost grainy body and a pronounced nuttiness that coats the palate. Minced pork renders its fat into the liquid, adding a meaty richness, while the kimchi contributes a sharp acidity that cuts through the heaviness and keeps the flavor lively. Anchovy stock serves as the liquid base, layering an additional umami dimension beneath the soy and pork. The soup is seasoned with soup soy sauce, garlic, and finished with a swirl of sesame oil. It is a winter staple in Korean households, prized for its warmth and substance. The thick texture means it clings to rice rather than flowing around it, making each bite dense with flavor.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Chop kimchi finely and pat the pork dry.
- 2
Heat sesame oil in a pot and stir-fry pork with garlic until aromatic.
- 3
Add kimchi and sauté for 3 more minutes to deepen flavor.
- 4
Pour in anchovy broth, bring to a boil, then add soy pulp and stir.
- 5
Season with soup soy sauce and simmer 15 minutes until thick and creamy.
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Tips
Nutrition (per serving)
More Recipes
Korean Soy Pulp Stew (Okara with Aged Kimchi and Pork)
Biji jjigae is a stew made from soy pulp - the byproduct of tofu making - cooked with well-fermented aged kimchi and pork. The soy pulp gives the broth a thick, porridge-like consistency with a nutty undertone, while salted shrimp and perilla oil layer in depth. The tangy kimchi and rendered pork fat meld into the grainy texture, creating a hearty bowl that has been a staple of Korean home cooking for generations.
Korean Loach Soup (Blended Loach and Dried Radish Greens Tonic)
Chueo-tang is a southern Korean tonic soup made by blending blanched loach into a smooth puree, straining out bones and skin, then simmering the liquid with doenjang and gochujang for depth. Dried radish greens - siraegi - are added midway and cooked for twenty-five minutes, contributing a fibrous chew that contrasts the velvety broth. Perilla seed powder stirred in near the end thickens the soup to a creamy, pale consistency and layers in a pronounced nutty fragrance. A final pinch of ground sansho pepper leaves a tingling numbness on the tongue that cleanses any lingering earthiness from the freshwater fish.
Kimchi Dwaejigogi-guk (Kimchi Pork Tofu Soup)
Kimchi-dwaejigogi-guk begins by stir-frying pork shoulder in perilla oil until the fat renders, then well-fermented kimchi and chili flakes join the pot for three more minutes of cooking. This initial step melds the tangy acidity of the kimchi with the pork drippings, creating a base that carries the entire soup. Water and sliced onion simmer for fifteen minutes, and blocks of firm tofu go in near the end, absorbing the ruddy, peppery broth. The result has more liquid than a typical jjigae, making it well suited for spooning over a bowl of rice.
Gomtang (Slow-Simmered Ox Bone Beef Soup)
Gomtang is a quintessential Korean bone soup made by simmering beef leg bones and brisket in water for five to six hours or longer until the broth turns opaque and milky white. The prolonged cooking extracts collagen, marrow, and fat from the bones, giving the liquid a luxuriously creamy texture and a deep beefy flavor that needs only salt and pepper to taste complete. The brisket is removed partway through, sliced thin against the grain, and placed back atop the steaming broth for serving. Green onion and a generous shake of black pepper cut through the richness. The most common way to eat gomtang is with a bowl of rice submerged directly into the soup, letting the grains soak up the milky broth. This is slow food in the truest sense - the hours of effort yield a pot that can feed a family for two days - and remains one of the dishes Koreans crave most when the temperature drops.
Korean Chicken Radish Soup
Dak mu-guk is a Korean chicken and radish soup where blanched chicken thigh meat and thinly sliced radish simmer together into a clear, deeply flavored broth. Blanching the chicken for one minute before the main simmer removes impurities and is the key to keeping the broth transparent. Onion and ginger build the aromatic foundation over twenty minutes of gentle cooking, and the radish - cut into thin, flat squares rather than thick chunks - turns translucent quickly, releasing its natural sweetness into the liquid in just ten minutes. Soup soy sauce and diagonally sliced green onion finish the bowl, balancing the chicken's richness with a clean, vegetal note.
Korean Braised Pork Ribs
Dwaeji galbi-jjim is a Korean braised pork rib dish simmered in a soy sauce base with Korean radish, carrots, and onion. The ribs cook low and slow until the meat practically falls off the bone, absorbing the ginger- and garlic-infused braising liquid along the way. The radish chunks turn translucent and soak up the seasoning, becoming as flavorful as the meat itself. Served with steamed rice, this dish is a hearty main course suited to cooler weather.