Korean Shepherd's Purse Pollack Soup

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Naengi-bugeo-guk is a clear Korean soup that brings together dried pollack strips and fresh shepherd's purse, pairing the hearty depth of a winter pantry staple with the clean, herbaceous fragrance of early spring.

Sautéing the pollack strips in sesame oil before adding water is the foundational step, as the dry heat coaxes a toasty, nutty aroma out of the surface proteins and primes the broth to carry deep flavor from the first minute of simmering. As the soup cooks, the concentrated umami locked inside the dried fish slowly dissolves into the liquid, building a broth that feels rich without being heavy. Cubed tofu goes in mid-cook, softening into a silky texture while keeping the overall flavor clean and mild. The shepherd's purse is added at the very end, just long enough to wilt, so that its faintly bitter, earthy spring perfume remains in the finished bowl rather than cooking off. Soup soy sauce and minced garlic season without clouding the broth. This soup is a fixture of Korean spring cooking, prized for being gentle on the stomach while delivering genuine depth.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

shepherd's purse120 gg

dried pollack strips50 gg

firm tofu150 gg

minced garlic1 tsptsp

soup soy sauce1 tbsptbsp

sesame oil1 tsptsp

green onion1 eaea

water1100 mlml

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Finish

Trim soil from 120 g shepherd's purse roots, rinse in several changes of water, and cut into 4 cm lengths.

Cut 150 g firm tofu into cubes and slice the green onion thinly for finishing.
2

Step

Rinse 50 g dried pollack strips quickly in cold water to remove surface dust, then squeeze firmly.

Avoid soaking them for long, since too much water pulls flavor from the fish before it reaches the broth.
3

Control

Warm 1 tsp sesame oil in a pot over low heat, then add the pollack and 1 tsp minced garlic.

Stir for about 1 minute, just until the fish smells nutty, without letting the garlic brown.
4

Control

Pour in 1100 ml water and 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, then raise the heat to medium.

Once boiling, skim foam from the surface and simmer gently for 10 minutes to draw flavor into a clear broth.
5

Control

Add the tofu and simmer 5 minutes, keeping the liquid from boiling hard so the cubes stay intact.

Add shepherd's purse only at the end and cook 2 minutes, until the stems soften slightly but stay fragrant.
6

Finish

Add 1 scallion and check that the 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce is evenly dispersed.

Turn off the heat and serve while the shepherd's purse aroma remains fresh.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Sautéing dried pollack in sesame oil builds a nutty base without any fishiness.
Finish cue: Add 1 scallion and check that the 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce is evenly dispersed.
Avoid this: Use low heat while stir-frying pollack to avoid burnt notes.