Korean · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Korean Seaweed Soup with Beef
미역국 (Miyeok-guk)
A clean, comforting broth of silky seaweed and tender strips of lean beef, gently seasoned with garlic, sesame oil and Korean soup soy sauce. It is light, warming and traditionally served on birthdays.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 19% · Fat 33% · Protein 48%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 20 g dried (1 cup loosely packed), about 180 g once soaked and squeezeddried seaweed (miyeok / wakame), weighed after soaking
- 4 cups950 gcold water for soaking the seaweed
- 7 oz200 glean beef (top round or trimmed brisket)
- 2 tsp9 gtoasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves12 ggarlic, minced
- 2 tbsp36 gKorean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 7 cups1,650 gwater for the soup
- 1/4 tsp, to tastesalt (optional)
Steps
- 1
Place the 20 g of dried seaweed in a large bowl and cover with the 4 cups of cold soaking water.
- 2
Leave the seaweed to soak for about 20 minutes until it is soft and greatly expanded.
- 3
Drain the seaweed, rinse it well under running water and squeeze out the excess liquid; it should weigh about 180 g.
- 4
Cut the soaked seaweed into bite-sized pieces of about 5 cm.
- 5
Trim any visible fat from the beef and slice it into thin, bite-sized strips.
- 6
Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- 7
Add the beef and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until it is no longer pink on the outside.
- 8
Add the seaweed and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- 9
Stir in 1 tablespoon of the soup soy sauce.
- 10
Pour in the 7 cups of water and bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
- 11
Reduce the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20 to 25 minutes until the beef is tender and the broth is flavourful; skim off any foam.
- 12
Make sure the beef is cooked through to at least 71 °C / 160 °F.
- 13
Taste and add the remaining soup soy sauce, and the salt only if still needed.
- 14
Ladle into bowls and serve hot, with steamed rice on the side if you like.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with sliced shiitake mushrooms or firm tofu and use water or a kelp and mushroom broth.
- For a gluten-free version, swap the soup soy sauce for a tamari labelled gluten-free.
- If you can't find Korean soup soy sauce, use regular light soy sauce and add it a little at a time, since it is less salty and slightly sweeter.
- Swap the beef for thinly sliced chicken breast, or for a handful of clams or mussels for a classic seafood version. Scrub the shellfish, discard any that are cracked or stay open when tapped, and discard any that do not open after cooking.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. The soup can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months, though the seaweed may turn a little softer after thawing.
Make ahead
Soak, rinse and cut the seaweed and slice the beef up to a day ahead, keeping both covered in the fridge. The whole soup also reheats well, so you can cook it a day in advance and adjust the seasoning when reheating.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: SoyGlutenSesame
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (759 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 111 kcal | 15 kcal |
| Protein | 14.1 g | 1.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5.5 g | 0.7 g |
| of which sugars | 0.4 g | 0.1 g |
| Fiber | 0.4 g | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 4.2 g | 0.6 g |
| of which saturated | 1 g | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 941 mg | 124 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
