Refreshing and Clear Bean Sprout Soup (Kongnamul Guk)
How to Make Bean Sprout Soup Without a Fishy Smell: A Clear and Refreshing Broth Dish Perfect for Hangover Cures
Introducing a simple yet universally loved bean sprout soup recipe! We’ll share the secret to making a clear, refreshing broth with a crisp bean sprout texture, free from any fishy odor. While bean sprouts are delicious stir-fried, making them into a soup creates a wonderful side dish. It’s particularly popular as a hangover soup, and chilling it to serve as a cold soup is perfect for summer. Let’s make a clean and delicious bean sprout soup right now!
Main Ingredients- 250g bean sprouts
- 15cm green onion (use both white and green parts)
- 1 red chili pepper (seeds removed, sliced diagonally)
- 1 green chili pepper (seeds removed, sliced diagonally)
Refreshing Broth Ingredients- 5 cups water (approx. 1L)
- 1 dried anchovy and kelp broth pack (or your preferred broth base)
- 1 piece dried kelp (about palm-sized)
Seasoning the Soup- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce (Korean clear soy sauce)
- 0.7 Tbsp salted shrimp (minced)
- 0.5 Tbsp minced garlic
- Salt to taste (adjust as needed)
- 5 cups water (approx. 1L)
- 1 dried anchovy and kelp broth pack (or your preferred broth base)
- 1 piece dried kelp (about palm-sized)
Seasoning the Soup- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce (Korean clear soy sauce)
- 0.7 Tbsp salted shrimp (minced)
- 0.5 Tbsp minced garlic
- Salt to taste (adjust as needed)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the broth for our delicious bean sprout soup. In a pot, add 5 cups of water, the dried anchovy and kelp broth pack, dried kelp, and the green parts of the green onion. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove the kelp and broth pack, keeping only the clear broth. This step helps eliminate any fishy smell from the bean sprouts and deepens the soup’s refreshing flavor.
Step 2
Bring the prepared clear broth to a rolling boil over high heat. Boiling the broth thoroughly before adding the bean sprouts ensures they remain crisp and prevents any unpleasant odor.
Step 3
Rinse the bean sprouts thoroughly under running water and drain them completely in a sieve. Excess water can dilute the soup’s flavor. Now, add the prepared bean sprouts directly into the vigorously boiling broth.
Step 4
Immediately after adding the bean sprouts, stir in 1 Tbsp of soup soy sauce and 0.5 Tbsp of minced garlic. Adding soup soy sauce early imparts a subtle umami flavor without overpowering the bean sprouts. It’s best to add garlic later to preserve its fresh aroma, as it can become bitter if cooked too long from the start.
Step 5
For the key to the soup’s flavor: add 0.7 Tbsp of minced salted shrimp! Salted shrimp will add a deep umami and refreshing taste to the bean sprout soup. Next, add the diagonally sliced red and green chili peppers, and the white parts of the green onion for color and a hint of spiciness.
Step 6
Finally, add another 0.5 Tbsp of minced garlic to enhance the fresh garlicky aroma. Adjust the seasoning with a pinch of salt if needed, according to your preference. Simmer for another moment to let all the flavors meld together. Your soup is ready!
Step 7
This bean sprout soup, made without chili powder, has a clear and transparent broth, yet its spicy and refreshing taste is exceptional. The crisp texture of the bean sprouts combined with the clean broth makes it truly delicious.
Step 8
It’s a satisfying hangover soup for breakfast, and when chilled, it transforms into a wonderful dinner option that can help you beat the summer heat.
Step 9
This bean sprout soup is also delicious when cooled down and eaten chilled! Its crisp, clean taste without any fishiness is truly delightful, so be sure to try making it.
