Korean · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Korean Soybean Sprout Soup
콩나물국 (Kongnamul-guk)
A clear, comforting Korean soup of crunchy soybean sprouts simmered in a light anchovy and kelp broth with garlic and green onion. It's naturally low in fat and makes a refreshing side with rice or a soothing light meal.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Total
- 32 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 28% · Fat 38% · Protein 34%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 6 cups400 gsoybean sprouts
- 6 2/3 cups1,600 gwater
- 10 large, strained out15 gdried anchovies, large (heads and guts removed) (optional)
- 1 piece, about 10 cm square, lifted out5 gdried kelp (dashima) (optional)
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 2 stalks30 ggreen onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp18 gKorean soup soy sauce (gukganjang)
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 1 tspKorean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) (optional)
- 1 tsptoasted sesame seeds (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the soybean sprouts in cold water, picking off any loose husks or brown tails, and drain.
- 2
Put the water, dried anchovies and kelp in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- 3
Lift out the kelp after 5 minutes of boiling.
- 4
Simmer the anchovies for 10 more minutes, then strain them out, keeping the broth in the pot.
- 5
Add the soybean sprouts, cover with a lid and boil for 7 minutes without lifting the lid, which keeps the sprouts from tasting raw and beany.
- 6
Stir in the garlic and soup soy sauce, simmer uncovered for 2 minutes, then taste and add the salt only as needed.
- 7
Add the green onions and the gochugaru if using, then turn off the heat.
- 8
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegan version, make the broth with kelp and a few dried shiitake mushrooms instead of anchovies.
- For a gluten-free version, use tamari labelled gluten-free in place of the soup soy sauce, since gukganjang may contain wheat.
- If you can't find soybean sprouts, use mung bean sprouts and boil them for just 2 to 3 minutes so they stay crisp.
- If gukganjang is hard to find, use regular soy sauce and add it a little at a time, since the colour and saltiness differ.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days, then reheat until steaming hot. The sprouts soften on standing and turn limp when thawed, so this soup is best eaten fresh and is not a good one to freeze.
Make ahead
Make the anchovy and kelp broth up to 3 days ahead and keep it chilled, and rinse and trim the sprouts a day ahead, storing them in the fridge. Then bring the broth back to a boil and cook the sprouts just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: SoyGlutenFishSesame
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (515 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 130 kcal | 25 kcal |
| Protein | 13.7 g | 2.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11.1 g | 2.2 g |
| of which sugars | 0.2 g | 0 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 0.3 g |
| Fat | 6.8 g | 1.3 g |
| of which saturated | 0.9 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 570 mg | 111 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
