Refreshing Mussel Soup (Honghap Tang)
Easy and Refreshing Mussel Soup Recipe
Learn how to make a wonderfully refreshing and invigorating mussel soup, perfect as a late-night snack or a hangover cure. This recipe highlights the natural, deep flavor of fresh mussels combined with cooling vegetables.
Main Ingredients- 500g fresh mussels
- 1/4 daikon radish (approx. 100g)
- 1/2 stalk green onion
- 1 Korean green chili pepper
- 1/2 Korean red chili pepper
Seasoning & Other Ingredients- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin or similar)
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin or similar)
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
- Pinch of black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, cleaning the mussels is crucial! Rinse them thoroughly under running water, scrubbing the shells vigorously with a brush. This removes any dirt or grit, ensuring a clear and delicious broth. Pay close attention to cleaning any crevices.
Step 2
Next, prepare the vegetables. Slice the daikon radish thinly into bite-sized pieces. Slice the green onion diagonally. Finely chop the green and red chili peppers, removing the seeds if you prefer less heat. These will add a pleasant spiciness and vibrant color to the soup.
Step 3
Add water to a pot. Pour enough water to cover the mussels, but aim for about 80% of the pot’s volume, considering that the liquid will reduce during cooking.
Step 4
Now, let’s start cooking. Add the prepared daikon radish and 1 tablespoon of cooking wine to the pot. Bring it to a boil over high heat. The cooking wine helps to eliminate any fishy odor from the mussels and enhances the refreshing taste of the broth.
Step 5
Once the water begins to boil, add the mussels. As they start to open and cook, to prevent the soup from becoming too murky with excess shells, you can remove the shells from the mussels and keep only the mussel meat. (Optional: If you prefer to serve them with shells, you can skip this step.)
Step 6
When the mussels are mostly cooked and you’ve removed the shells (if you chose to), add the sliced green onion and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Let it simmer for a short while longer. The garlic adds a refreshing depth to the broth.
Step 7
Finally, add the chopped red and green chili peppers. Season the soup with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (or soy sauce) and a pinch of black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed to suit your preference. Your delicious and refreshing mussel soup is now ready!
