Refreshing and Clean Oyster Soup
A Perfect Oyster Soup in a Bowl, Quickly Made with Fresh Oysters and Salted Shrimp
Do you love the pure, oceanic taste of fresh oysters? This recipe truly captures the essence of oysters, creating a clear and deeply flavorful soup that tastes like the bounty of the sea. The incredible freshness of the oysters shines through, making them delicious even as oyster pancakes, but this soup, made with minimal ingredients, is surprisingly refreshing and clean-tasting. It’s so vibrant, you might mistake it for eating raw oysters! This is a dish that reminds you that the foundation of great food is always fresh ingredients. Experience a hearty yet incredibly comforting bowl that’s perfect for enjoying with a side of rice.
Main Ingredients- 1 cup fresh oysters
- 1 handful of radish (approx. 1/4 medium radish)
- 1/2 Tbsp salted shrimp (including the brine)
- 4 cups water
- 1 stalk of green onion
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
To savor the utmost freshness of the oysters, carefully inspect them for any hard shell fragments attached to the adductor muscle and remove them if found. These often don’t detach easily with just rinsing, so a thorough manual check is best. You wouldn’t want a crunchy piece of shell disrupting your meal! Once cleaned, place the oysters in a large bowl filled with water. Gently swirl them around twice to rinse, being careful not to wash away their delicious essence. Finally, drain them well using a sieve.
Step 2
In a deep pot, add the radish, sliced into 0.5cm thick pieces, about 2-2.5cm square. The radish adds a refreshing sweetness to the broth. Next, add 1/2 tablespoon of salted shrimp (saeujeot) for a rich umami flavor. Salted shrimp is key to adding depth and seasoning to oyster soup, so don’t skip it! Using some of the brine from the salted shrimp will further enhance the flavor.
Step 3
Pour 4 cups of fresh water into the pot. This water will become a delicious broth infused with the flavors of the oysters and radish. Bring it to a boil over high heat with the lid off.
Step 4
Once the broth is boiling vigorously, add the prepared fresh oysters. Continue to cook for just a short while. Oysters can become tough if overcooked, so boil them for only about 2-3 minutes after adding them. The goal is to infuse the broth with the fresh taste and aroma of the oysters without overcooking them.
Step 5
Finally, add the thinly sliced green onion (about 1 stalk) to the soup. The fresh aroma of the green onion will elevate the flavor profile of the oyster soup. While delicious as is, you can customize it further: add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat, or crumble some seasoned seaweed (gim) on top for a nutty, savory touch. This soup is perfect for enjoying as a hearty and satisfying meal with a bowl of rice!
