Rich and Savory Autumn Health Food: Cheongdo-Style Loach Soup (Chueotang) Golden Recipe
Recreating Mom’s Authentic Cheongdo Loach Soup – Ground Loach Soup Recipe
My hometown is Cheongdo, and my mother was excellent at making chueotang. I will introduce how to make Cheongdo-style chueotang, which is exactly the Gyeongsang-do style, with her secret recipe. This recipe offers a deep, savory flavor and a refreshing broth, perfect for the autumn season. Enjoy a nutritious and comforting meal!
Ingredients for Chueotang- 1kg fresh loach
- 1 bag mung bean sprouts (approx. 200g)
- 1 bag cooked fiddlehead ferns (approx. 200g)
- 5 green onions
- 1 zucchini
- 5 red chilies
- 1/2 bowl minced garlic (rice bowl size, approx. 100g)
- 5 leaves perilla leaves (eupatorium)
- A little sansho pepper powder (zanthoxylum piperitum) (adjust to taste)
- 2 bundles of young napa cabbage (eolgal-i baechu)
- Soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang) to taste
- Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The first step in making chueotang is preparing the fresh loach. Start with 1kg of live loach. Place the loach in a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of coarse salt. Let it sit for about 1 hour to purge. This process helps remove slime and impurities. After an hour, rinse the loach thoroughly under cold running water to remove any remaining slime. Then, blanch the loach in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes.
Step 2
Drain the blanched loach and let it cool slightly. Use a blender or mortar and pestle to finely grind the loach, similar to how you would prepare it when alive. If using a blender, adding a little of the blanching water can help achieve a smoother consistency. The key is to grind it so finely that you can barely feel any bones. In a large pot, combine the ground loach, mung bean sprouts (cut into bite-sized pieces), cooked fiddlehead ferns, diagonally sliced green onions, sliced zucchini, sliced red chilies, minced garlic, roughly chopped young napa cabbage, and enough water (or anchovy broth) to cover. Bring everything to a rolling boil.
Step 3
Once the chueotang starts boiling, skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Season the soup with soup soy sauce and salt to your preference. Finally, add the aromatic perilla leaves and sansho pepper powder, and simmer for a little longer. This completes your deeply flavorful and refreshing Cheongdo-style chueotang. Chueotang is delicious even without added MSG, thanks to the natural umami from the loach and vegetables. Because the bones are ground in, the texture is smooth and not at all off-putting, similar to a hearty cabbage soup. The combination of satisfying ingredients and clear broth makes it a universally enjoyable dish. Serving it over a bowl of rice makes for a hearty and restorative meal, perfect for a nourishing boost.
