Korean Octopus Clear Soup
Quick answer
Yeonpo-tang is a Korean clear octopus soup cooked with minimal seasonings to highlight the natural qualities of its ingredients.
What makes this special
- Watercress added just before serving layers fresh herb scent over the seafood notes.
- Octopus cooked only 3 minutes stays springy without turning rubbery
- Radish simmered 10 minutes first builds a sweet vegetable base without shellfish
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Rub the 400 g octopus thoroughly with salt, especially between the suckers, then rinse and drain well.
- 2 Slice the 180 g Korean radish into pieces that are not too thick, so it sweetens the broth quickly.
- 3 Put the 1400 ml anchovy stock and radish in a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Yeonpo-tang is a Korean clear octopus soup cooked with minimal seasonings to highlight the natural qualities of its ingredients. The cooking process starts by simmering sliced Korean radish in anchovy stock for ten minutes to establish a clear and sweet vegetable base. Cleaned octopus pieces and minced garlic are then added to the boiling broth and cooked for only three minutes to prevent the seafood from turning rubbery. After adding green onions and skimming off any foam to keep the broth clear, the soup is seasoned with salt. Right before turning off the heat, water dropwort is added for twenty seconds to wilt. This introduces a fresh herbal aroma that complements the ocean flavor of the tender octopus.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Rub the 400 g octopus thoroughly with salt, especially between the suckers, then rinse and drain well.
Trim away any tough bits or innards if needed, and cut the tentacles into manageable bite-size lengths.
- 2Prep
Slice the 180 g Korean radish into pieces that are not too thick, so it sweetens the broth quickly.
Trim the green onion and water dropwort, keeping the dropwort separate for the very end.
- 3Control
Put the 1400 ml anchovy stock and radish in a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once it boils, lower to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the radish starts turning translucent.
- 4Control
Stir in 1 tablespoon minced garlic, then add the octopus.
When the broth returns to a boil, keep it at medium heat and cook for only 3 minutes so the octopus stays tender.
- 5Season
Add the green onion and skim off any foam if the surface looks cloudy.
Do not add all the salt at once; taste the broth and season until it is clean and lightly salty.
- 6Finish
Right before turning off the heat, add the 60 g water dropwort and wilt it for about 20 seconds.
Serve immediately while the octopus is springy, the broth is clear, and the herb aroma is still fresh.
After the steps
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