Korean Bean Sprout Kimchi Soup
This soup builds its flavor in two stages: first, aged kimchi and its juice simmer in anchovy stock for eight minutes until the broth turns deeply tangy and red. Then bean sprouts, garlic, chili flakes, and soup soy sauce are added uncovered for five minutes, preserving the sprouts' crunch while letting any raw smell dissipate. Sliced green onion finishes the pot with a minute of gentle boiling. The combination of fermented kimchi acidity and the natural freshness of bean sprouts makes this soup sharp and reviving, especially effective as a quick hangover remedy or a cold-weather pick-me-up.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the bean sprouts briefly under running water, and cut aged kimchi into bite-size 3 cm pieces.
- 2
Add water and the anchovy stock pouch to a pot, boil for 7 minutes to make stock, then remove the pouch.
- 3
Add kimchi and kimchi juice to the stock and simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes to deepen the kimchi flavor.
- 4
Add bean sprouts, minced garlic, soup soy sauce, and chili flakes, then boil uncovered for 5 more minutes to keep the soup clean-tasting.
- 5
Add sliced green onion, simmer for 1 minute, and finish by adjusting salt to taste.
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Tips
Nutrition (per serving)
More Recipes
Kongnamul-guk (Bean Sprout Anchovy Soup)
Kongnamul-guk is one of the simplest Korean soups, built on nothing more than bean sprouts, water, soup soy sauce, and garlic. The key step is boiling the sprouts with the lid firmly closed for seven minutes, which eliminates the raw beany smell that would otherwise persist. Green onion goes in at the very end, contributing a mild bite without overpowering the broth's clean, vegetal character. Adding chili flakes and a cracked egg transforms it into a spicy hangover-cure version, but the plain form is just as satisfying alongside rice and a few side dishes.
Korean Beef Bean Sprout Soup
Sogogi sukju-guk is a quick Korean soup where seared beef and crisp mung bean sprouts come together in a clear, invigorating broth. The beef brisket is first stir-fried in sesame oil to render its fat and deepen its flavor, then water is added and brought to a rolling boil. Bean sprouts enter the pot only in the final minutes so they retain their signature crunch - the plump heads snap between the teeth while the slender tails wilt just enough to release moisture that lightens and clarifies the broth. The contrast between the beefy richness and the sprouts' clean, almost grassy freshness keeps the soup feeling bright rather than heavy. Soup soy sauce and a spoonful of minced garlic round out the seasoning without masking the main ingredients. Because bean sprouts lose their texture quickly once overcooked, the soup is best ladled into bowls the moment it is done. Koreans often spoon it over steamed rice for a fast, satisfying meal that feels both nourishing and easy on the stomach.
Korean Dried Pollock Hangover Soup
Dried pollock strips are stir-fried in sesame oil to eliminate fishiness and build a nutty base, then simmered with soybean sprouts and garlic for fifteen minutes. The sprouts contribute a refreshing crispness to the broth, while soup soy sauce provides seasoning depth. A drizzle of beaten egg and sliced green onion finish the pot, resulting in a mild, stomach-settling soup long favored as a Korean morning-after remedy.
Korean Bean Sprout Dried Pollock Soup
Kongnamul-hwangtae-guk pairs stir-fried dried pollock strips with bean sprouts in a clear, restorative broth. The pollock is toasted briefly in sesame oil alongside radish slices, building a nutty, savory foundation before water is added. After ten minutes of simmering, bean sprouts and garlic go in uncovered for five more minutes, keeping the sprouts crisp and letting any residual fishiness escape with the steam. Soup soy sauce and a touch of salt finish the seasoning, and sliced green onion adds brightness. The result is a light but deeply flavored soup commonly served as a morning-after remedy.
Korean Dried Pollock Bean Sprout Soup Rice
Dried pollock strips are briefly soaked, then stir-fried in sesame oil to drive off fishiness and release a deep, toasted aroma that becomes the broth's backbone. Sliced radish goes into the water first and simmers until it softens and sweetens the liquid, followed by bean sprouts cooked under a closed lid so their raw smell dissipates. Soup soy sauce seasons the broth with a clean saltiness, and green onion added in the final minute provides a fresh accent. Poured over rice, this is a straightforward hangover-cure soup rice that warms and settles the stomach.
Korean Bean Sprout Soup with Rice
Bean sprouts are simmered in anchovy broth with the lid off for just five to six minutes - long enough to infuse the stock but short enough to keep the sprouts crunchy. Soup soy sauce seasons the broth, green onion adds freshness, and a whole egg is poached directly in the pot until softly set. Hot broth is then ladled over a bowl of rice, and shredded seaweed and red pepper flakes finish the dish. The sprouts give the soup a clean, refreshing quality that pairs with the anchovy stock's savory backbone, and adding a bit of radish during simmering clarifies the broth further. This Jeonju-style soup rice is widely enjoyed as a hangover cure.