Korean Beef Radish Soup (Sesame Oil Braised Beef and Daikon)
Sogogi muguk is one of the most frequently cooked soups in Korean households, built from just two main ingredients: beef and daikon radish. Thin-cut beef is stir-fried in sesame oil until lightly browned, then thick radish slices go into the pot before water is added. As the soup comes to a boil and then settles into a steady simmer, the radish transforms: its initial sharpness mellows into a clean sweetness that balances the beef's depth, and its starch clouds the broth just enough to give it body. Soup soy sauce provides the seasoning, tinting the liquid a pale amber while pushing umami forward over saltiness. Minced garlic added near the end lends a quiet heat that sits behind the main flavors rather than competing with them. The radish, when properly cooked, should yield easily to a spoon yet still hold a hint of structure at its center. This soup also serves as the foundational broth for tteokguk on Lunar New Year, and Koreans reach for it instinctively when the weather turns cold or the body needs warming.
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Instructions
- 1
Cut 200g beef into bite-size pieces and slice 300g radish into 2cm-thick rectangular pieces.
- 2
Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pot and stir-fry beef on medium heat for 3 minutes to remove blood.
- 3
Add radish and stir-fry 2 minutes together, then pour in 1.5L water and bring to a boil on high heat.
- 4
Skim off foam, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for 30 minutes until radish becomes translucent.
- 5
Add 2 tbsp soup soy sauce and 1 tbsp minced garlic, then simmer 5 more minutes.
- 6
Season with salt and pepper, add green onion, and cook 1 more minute to finish.
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