Korean Beef Radish Soup (Sesame Oil Braised Beef and Daikon)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 55 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Sogogi muguk is one of the most frequently cooked soups in Korean households, built from just two main ingredients: beef and daikon radish.
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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.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Cut 200 g beef into bite-size pieces, then slice 300 g Korean radish into 2 cm thick flat rectangles.
Slice the green onion thinly and keep it aside so it can be added fresh at the end.
- 2Control
Set a pot over medium heat and add 1 tbsp sesame oil.
Add the beef and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until the surface turns light brown and the raw red color mostly disappears.
- 3Heat
Add the radish and stir-fry for 2 more minutes, coating the pieces with the beef fat and sesame oil.
If the bottom starts to look dry, pour in 1.5 L water right away to prevent scorching.
- 4Control
Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then skim off the foam from the surface.
Lower to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the radish looks translucent and a spoon slides in easily.
- 5Control
Add 2 tbsp soup soy sauce and 1 tbsp minced garlic, then simmer for 5 more minutes.
Keep the broth at a steady gentle boil so the garlic softens without leaving a harsh raw edge.
- 6Finish
Taste the broth, then adjust with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
Add the green onion and simmer for just 1 minute, keeping its aroma fresh, then serve the soup hot.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Sogogi-muguk braises beef and daikon radish in sesame oil for a nutty, sweet base profile.
- Finish cue
- Lower to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the radish looks translucent and a spoon slides in easily.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
55min, 9 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
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