Creamy Mung Bean Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
How to Make Delicious Mung Bean Samgyetang & Dakbaeksuk (Boiled Chicken) – Perfect for Bok Days (Summer Solstices) – Eliminating Gamey Odors with a Secret Tip
The season for Samgyetang and Dakbaeksuk has arrived! While I don’t personally love Samgyetang all the time, I find that the version made at home, especially with mung beans, is truly delicious. This recipe will show you how to make a savory and mild Mung Bean Samgyetang without any unpleasant odors, perfect for the hot summer days of Chobok, Jungbok, and Malbok.
Samgyetang Ingredients- 1 whole chicken (young chicken or native chicken)
- 2 cups glutinous rice (soaked for at least 30 minutes)
- Mung beans (cooked and prepared)
- 10-15 whole garlic cloves
- 5-7 dried jujubes (dates)
- Herbs such as common Acanthopanax root, Hovenia dulcis root, Acanthopanax senticosus root, Astragalus root, Balloon flower root (use easily available ones)
- 2 liters water
- Fresh or frozen strawberries (for odor removal)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Begin by washing the chicken thoroughly. Although most commercially sold chickens are well-cleaned, rinse it meticulously under running water. Trim any excess fat from the tail end. To help secure the legs later, make a small slit on the inner side of the thigh area.
Step 2
Now, let’s prepare the filling for the chicken’s cavity. Since we’re making a Mung Bean Samgyetang, we’ll be using soaked glutinous rice and cooked mung beans. Fill the chicken’s cavity generously with a mixture of these two ingredients.
Step 3
After filling the cavity, tuck the chicken legs into the slit made earlier. This step helps to keep the stuffing inside and maintain a neat shape during cooking.
Step 4
Using a pressure cooker significantly speeds up the cooking process and results in a more tender chicken. Place the prepared chicken into the pressure cooker. Add the medicinal herbs you have available. Don’t worry if you can’t find all of them; using ginseng, jujubes, and garlic is sufficient to create a flavorful Samgyetang.
Step 5
Pour in enough water to generously cover the chicken. If you prefer a brothier soup, similar to Dakbaeksuk, feel free to add more water.
Step 6
Here’s a secret ingredient for eliminating any gamey odor in your Samgyetang: strawberries! Fresh strawberries are ideal, but frozen ones work just as well, especially if fresh ones are out of season. We personally use fresh strawberries that we froze from our spring harvest. Strawberries are also great for boiling pork. You don’t need soy sauce, doenjang, or coffee; just strawberries alone will effectively remove unpleasant smells. They are truly excellent at neutralizing any ‘gamey’ taste in meats.
Step 7
Close the lid of the pressure cooker and bring it to high heat. Once the whistle blows, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes. Allow it to steam for an additional 10 minutes after the cooking time. Please note that cooking times may vary depending on your specific pressure cooker, so use this as a guideline and adjust as needed.
Step 8
While the chicken is cooking, you can also incorporate leftover vegetables from your refrigerator to make it more like a Dakbaeksuk. I personally find that adding potatoes, onions, and zucchini enhances the broth’s flavor and sweetness. Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
Step 9
We’ll be making a porridge using the cooked mung beans and soaked glutinous rice. Once the chicken is cooked in the pressure cooker, remove it. Then, add the soaked glutinous rice and cooked mung beans to the chicken broth and bring it to a boil to create the porridge.
Step 10
Once the porridge starts to thicken, add the vegetables in order of cooking time. Add denser vegetables like potatoes and carrots first, followed by quicker-cooking ones like zucchini to retain some crispness. Continue simmering until all vegetables are tender. Finally, it’s time to season. We used ‘Misom Salt,’ a low-sodium option. It tastes great for dipping the chicken or for seasoning the porridge. Adjust with salt or pepper to your preference.
Step 11
And there you have it – a savory Mung Bean Samgyetang (or Dakbaeksuk) recipe with absolutely no gamey odors! While Dakbaeksuk can be prepared in many ways, I highly recommend trying this special recipe that uses strawberries to perfectly eliminate any unwanted smells. You’ll be amazed by how clean and delicious the final dish is, with absolutely no unpleasant gamey taste!
