Clear Seafood and Tofu Soup: A Refreshing Chuseok Holiday Recipe
Chuseok Holiday Recipe: How to Make a Refreshing Seafood and Tofu Soup
Chuseok, the Korean harvest festival, is just around the corner. We’ve prepared a clear and refreshing Tofu Soup with Seafood, a dish particularly loved by my daughter. This soup offers a clean, yet deeply savory flavor, with soft tofu and fresh seafood mingling in a clear broth. It’s a dish that everyone, young and old, will enjoy. Perfect for ancestral rites tables or to add to the festive holiday meal.
All Ingredients- 1/2 block soft tofu (approx. 150-200g)
- 2 slices daikon radish (approx. 1cm thick) for a refreshing taste
- 4 cups broth (made from 4 cups water, anchovies, and kelp)
- 1/2 stalk green onion (scallion)
- 2 Tbsp anchovy sauce (or Korean soy sauce for soup)
- 150g mixed seafood (shrimp, squid, clams, etc.)
- 2 Tbsp shiitake mushroom powder for deep flavor
- 5 fresh shrimp (optional, for richer taste)
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The first step to making a delicious soup! First, thinly slice the daikon radish into bite-sized pieces (about 1cm thick). Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes. Finely chop the green onion to add its fragrant aroma. Preparing all ingredients cut into convenient sizes will make the cooking process much smoother.
Step 2
Making a deep and refreshing broth is key to the soup’s flavor. In a pot, add 4 cups of water, anchovies for broth, and kelp to boil. Once the water boils, remove the kelp and continue to simmer the anchovy broth to extract its rich taste. Add the sliced daikon radish to the prepared broth and cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until the radish becomes tender. When the radish starts to turn translucent, it’s ready for the next ingredients.
Step 3
Once the radish is partially cooked, gently add the fresh mixed seafood and the prepared soft tofu to the pot. As the seafood and tofu cook, meticulously skim off any foam that rises to the surface. This step ensures the broth remains clear and clean-tasting, allowing the refreshing flavor of the seafood to shine.
Step 4
Finally, it’s time to enhance the flavor! Add minced garlic (to taste), 2 tablespoons of anchovy sauce, and the optional fresh shrimp to the soup. Stir in 2 tablespoons of shiitake mushroom powder for a deeper umami, and finally, add the chopped green onion for a fragrant finish. Once all ingredients are well combined and simmering, your delicious Seafood and Tofu Soup is complete. (Tip: If serving for ancestral rites, some regions or families omit garlic and green onion according to tradition. In such cases, omit them or focus on achieving a clean broth flavor.)
