Korean Green Laver Soup (Seaweed Tofu Anchovy Broth)
Parae-guk is a Korean seaweed soup made with green laver and tofu in a light anchovy broth. The broth is brought to a simmer and seasoned with garlic and soup soy sauce before diced tofu is added and warmed through for three minutes. The green laver enters at the very end, cooking for no more than a minute - just long enough to wilt - because extended heat strips away the seaweed's vivid color and fresh ocean fragrance. The result is a bright green, mineral-rich soup that tastes unmistakably of the sea. The tofu provides a soft, neutral counterpoint to the laver's briny intensity. Speed is the defining feature of this soup: from start to finish, it takes about fifteen minutes, making it one of the quickest Korean soups to prepare while still delivering genuine depth of flavor.
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Instructions
- 1
Rinse green laver quickly under running water and squeeze dry.
- 2
Dice tofu and slice green onion.
- 3
Bring anchovy broth to a boil and add garlic and soup soy sauce.
- 4
Add tofu and cook 3 minutes, then add green laver.
- 5
Cook for only 30 seconds to 1 minute more, add green onion, and finish.
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