Hearty and Refreshing Mallow Soybean Paste Stew (Awuk Doenjang Guk)
Nutritious Mallow Soybean Paste Stew: A Simple and Delicious Recipe
Mallow, a healthy vegetable rich in calcium, beneficial for growing children’s bones, and packed with dietary fiber to aid digestion! Today, we’re making a Mallow Soybean Paste Stew that’s both hearty and refreshingly light. Enjoy a deep, clean broth flavor without needing any seafood.
Main Ingredients- 500g Mallow (Awuk)
- 2 Dried Anchovy and Kelp Soup Packs (Dashima)
- 2L Water
- 2 Tbsp Soybean Paste (Doenjang)
- A little Green Onion
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Red Chili
- 1 Tbsp Tuna Extract or Soup Soy Sauce
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
When preparing the mallow, it’s crucial to peel off the tough outer skin from the thicker parts of the stems. To peel, gently hold the end of the stem and pull with a slight ‘pop’ – it comes off easily! This step ensures the mallow becomes much more tender.
Step 2
As shown in the picture, carefully peel the skin mainly from the thicker stem portions. You can leave the tender leaves as they are.
Step 3
Rinse the mallow thoroughly and then chop it into roughly 3cm pieces. Cutting them too small can cause them to become mushy, so aim for a manageable size.
Step 4
Bring 2L of water to a boil in a pot. Add the two soup packs and let it boil vigorously. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 7-8 minutes to extract a delicious broth. Then, remove and discard the soup packs.
Step 5
Ladle out about one cup of the broth and dissolve 2 tablespoons of soybean paste into it until smooth. Dissolving the paste separately beforehand prevents clumps in the soup and ensures it disperses evenly. Add this well-mixed paste back into the remaining broth in the pot.
Step 6
Add the chopped mallow and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the broth with the dissolved soybean paste, and bring it to a boil. When adding the mallow, boiling over high heat helps maintain its vibrant green color and refreshing taste.
Step 7
Once the soup comes to a rolling boil, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for another 5 minutes. This allows the mallow to cook until tender and the flavors to meld beautifully.
Step 8
Finally, add the chopped green onion, red chili, and 1 tablespoon of tuna extract (or soup soy sauce), and simmer for about 10 more minutes. Tuna extract or soup soy sauce adds depth to the broth’s flavor.
Step 9
At this stage, it’s best to reduce the heat to a gentle simmer (a soft bubble) rather than a vigorous boil. Boiling too fiercely for too long can cause the broth to reduce too much and become overly salty.
Step 10
Your hearty and refreshing Mallow Soybean Paste Stew is ready! Even without added seafood, the mallow’s unique refreshing and clean broth is exceptional. It’s a wonderfully satisfying dish that will have you finishing your bowl in no time. ^^
