Korean Bean Sprout Soup with Rice
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Kongnamul gukbap is a Jeonju-style soup-and-rice dish built around bean sprouts simmered in anchovy broth with the lid kept off throughout cooking.
Read more
Leaving the pot uncovered for the five to six minute cooking time allows steam to carry off the beany odor while keeping the sprouts snappy and firm rather than limp. Soup soy sauce seasons the broth, sliced green onion is added for freshness, and a whole egg is poached directly in the simmering liquid until the yolk is just set. Hot broth is then poured over a bowl of cooked rice, and shredded dried seaweed and a pinch of red pepper flakes are scattered on top to finish. The refreshing, clean flavor that bean sprouts bring to the soup pairs naturally with the deep savoriness of anchovy stock, and simmering a piece of radish alongside clarifies the broth and gives it additional sweetness. Cooking uncovered is a traditional rule of thumb that Korean cooks have followed for generations. This dish has long been associated with Jeonju and is widely sought out as a restorative meal after a late night.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Rinse 250 g bean sprouts under running water, shaking them gently to remove loose skins and any damaged heads.
Slice 25 g green onion thinly so it softens quickly in the hot broth.
- 2Control
Pour 900 ml anchovy broth into a pot and bring it to a steady boil over medium-high heat.
If using a small piece of radish for a cleaner taste, add it now and let it simmer with the broth.
- 3Control
When the broth boils, add the bean sprouts and keep the pot uncovered.
Simmer only 5-6 minutes so the beany odor escapes with the steam, lowering the heat if the broth rises too hard.
- 4Control
When the sprout stems look slightly translucent but still feel firm, season with 1 tbsp soup soy sauce.
Add the sliced green onion and simmer about 30 seconds, then taste the broth before adjusting anything else.
- 5Control
When the broth returns to a gentle simmer, crack in 1 egg without beating it and place it near the center.
Reduce to low heat and poach until the white sets while the yolk stays softly cooked.
- 6Finish
Divide 2 cups warm cooked rice between bowls and ladle the hot broth, bean sprouts, and egg over the top.
Finish with 2 tbsp shredded seaweed and 1 tsp red pepper flakes just before serving.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Leaving the lid off during a 6-minute simmer keeps bean sprouts crisp and clean-smelling in kongnamul-gukbap.
- Finish cue
- When the sprout stems look slightly translucent but still feel firm, season with 1 tbsp soup soy sauce.
- Avoid this
- Do not overcook sprouts; keep simmer time around 5-6 minutes.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
30min, 8 ingredients
Category median
40min, 8 ingredients
Based on 309 recipes
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