Korean Fish Soup (White Fish and Radish Clear Broth)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Saengseon-guk is a traditional Korean fish soup made with white-fleshed fish and radish in a clear broth.
Read more
The radish simmers first, building a base of natural sweetness, before garlic and soup soy sauce are added for depth. The fish goes in once the radish is halfway cooked, and timing matters - it should cook only until the flesh turns opaque and begins to flake, as prolonged boiling would break it apart and cloud the broth. Tofu and sliced Korean chili peppers join near the end, adding soft texture and a mild kick. Green onion finishes the bowl with a fresh note. The result is a light, transparent soup where the fish's own clean, marine flavor does most of the work. It is the kind of straightforward home cooking that appears on Korean dinner tables throughout the year, requiring little more than fresh fish and basic pantry staples.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Slice 200 g daikon into thin flat pieces and mince 3 garlic cloves.
Cut the tofu and white fish into manageable pieces, then pat the fish dry so loose moisture does not cloud the broth.
- 2Control
Put 1000 ml water and the sliced daikon in a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, lower to medium heat and simmer about 8 minutes, until the daikon edges look slightly translucent.
- 3Control
When the daikon is halfway tender, add the minced garlic and 1 teaspoon soup soy sauce.
Skim off any foam, then simmer 2 more minutes so the broth tastes seasoned without turning dark or heavy.
- 4Heat
Add 400 g white fish and gently press the pieces under the broth with a ladle.
Keep the heat at medium and cook about 4 minutes, just until the flesh turns opaque and firms up.
- 5Control
Add 150 g tofu, sliced green onion, and sliced Korean chili.
Do not stir hard, since the fish can break; simmer about 3 minutes, until the tofu is heated through and the chili scent opens.
- 6Finish
Lower the heat and season with 0.5 teaspoon salt, tasting before adding more.
Serve as soon as the broth is clear and the fish flakes slightly, because longer boiling will break the pieces apart.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Saengseon-guk develops a sweet, transparent base from white fish and simmered radish.
- Finish cue
- Keep the heat at medium and cook about 4 minutes, just until the flesh turns opaque and firms up.
- Avoid this
- Do not stir hard, since the fish can break; simmer about 3 minutes, until the tofu is heated through and the chili scent opens.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
35min, 9 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Spicy Gul Dubu Jjigae (Korean Oyster Tofu Stew)
daikon radish, tofu
Korean Frozen Pollack Stew
daikon radish, tofu
Korean Hard Clam Radish Stew
daikon radish, tofu