Refreshing and Crunchy Bean Sprout Soup (Kongnamul Naengguk)
Beat the Summer Heat with Chilled Bean Sprout Soup – A Refreshing Recipe!
On hot summer days, when your appetite wanes, a bowl of chilled bean sprout soup is like magic! The crisp bean sprouts and fresh vegetables combined with a savory broth are so refreshing, just looking at them cools you down. It’s also delicious with rice! Try to beat the heat with this refreshing bean sprout soup for dinner tonight. Here’s a detailed recipe that even beginners can easily follow!
Main Ingredients- 150g bean sprouts
- 1/3 cucumber
- 2 Korean green chili peppers (cheongyang)
- 1/3 carrot
- A little red bell pepper
- 4 cherry tomatoes
Broth and Seasoning Ingredients- 1 cup bean sprout boiling water
- 1 sheet dried kelp (dashima, 10cm x 10cm)
- 1 cup water (200ml)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce (or fish sauce)
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 cup bean sprout boiling water
- 1 sheet dried kelp (dashima, 10cm x 10cm)
- 1 cup water (200ml)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce (or fish sauce)
- Salt (to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s boil the bean sprouts, which will determine the flavor of our refreshing soup! Add 1 cup (200ml) of water and 1/2 Tbsp of coarse sea salt to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the washed bean sprouts and cover with a lid. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Don’t discard the bean sprout boiling water; we’ll use it as the broth for our soup, so set it aside.
Step 2
After draining the boiled bean sprouts in a sieve, immediately immerse them in ice water. This helps maintain their crispness and adds to the soup’s refreshing chill. Don’t squeeze out all the water; just lightly drain them.
Step 3
Peel the cucumber by rotating it, if possible, using a peeler. Cucumbers often have many seeds these days, so peeling them this way makes them crispier and tastier. Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Thinly julienne the carrot and bell pepper. Finely chop the green chili peppers.
Step 4
In a bowl, combine the crisp bean sprouts with the prepared cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and green chili peppers. Add the minced garlic, vinegar, sugar, and soup soy sauce (or fish sauce), and mix well. To prepare the broth, soak the kelp sheet in 1 cup of the reserved bean sprout boiling water for 5 minutes, then remove the kelp to get a clear broth.
Step 5
Pour the prepared clear kelp broth and 1 cup (200ml) of fresh water into the bowl with the mixed ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed. You can adjust the amount of vinegar, sugar, and chili powder according to your preference.
Step 6
Transfer the finished bean sprout soup to a nice serving bowl. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top for a nutty aroma, and your visually appealing bean sprout soup is ready.
Step 7
We added green chilies for a spicy kick, so no additional chili powder is needed. This soup is spicy, refreshing, and has a deep flavor that will help you forget the heat!
Step 8
This refreshing bean sprout soup is delicious on its own, but it’s also a satisfying meal when served over rice. How about making this cool and tasty bean sprout soup for your dinner tonight?
Step 9
A secret to this delicious bean sprout soup is using the water from boiling the bean sprouts as the base broth. Without needing to boil a separate broth, the natural savory flavor and umami from the bean sprouts create a deep and refreshing taste. It has a wonderful flavor that coats your palate!
Step 10
Simply use fresh bean sprouts, any leftover vegetables in your fridge, and cherry tomatoes from your garden. Mix the bean sprout boiling water with the kelp-infused water for the broth, add plenty of ice cubes, and you’ll have a truly delicious and special dish – bean sprout soup! Enjoy it with your family!
