The Star of Your Birthday Feast: Rich and Deep Beef Seaweed Soup
The Star of Your Birthday Feast: Rich and Deep Beef Seaweed Soup
Crafting a Comforting Beef Seaweed Soup to Celebrate Every Birthday
A birthday isn’t complete without a special bowl of Miyeok-guk (Seaweed Soup)! Renowned for its health benefits, particularly for purifying the blood, Miyeok-guk is a cherished dish for postpartum mothers and those recovering from illness. Today, we’ll guide you through making a rich and deeply flavored beef seaweed soup that will make any birthday celebration even more memorable. Create delicious memories with this heartwarming recipe!
Main Ingredients- Dried seaweed 1/2 paper cup (approx. 20g)
- Minced garlic 1 Tbsp
- Beef (for soup or bulgogi) 180g
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the dried seaweed. Soak the dried seaweed in cold water for about 20 minutes until it is fully rehydrated. This softens the seaweed and helps remove any impurities, ensuring a more delicious soup.
Step 2
Wash the garlic cloves thoroughly. Peel the garlic and mince it finely with a knife. Minced garlic will add a deep, savory flavor to your seaweed soup.
Step 3
Use kitchen paper towels to carefully pat and remove any blood from the beef. Removing the blood is crucial for a clean-tasting seaweed soup without any gamey odor.
Step 4
Heat a pot over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add the beef with the blood removed.
Step 5
Sauté the beef over medium heat until its color changes from red to brown. Stirring and cooking the beef evenly is important to ensure it cooks through.
Step 6
Once the beef starts to change color, season it lightly with salt. I added about 3 pinches, as we’ll be adding soy sauce and fish sauce later. It’s best to season lightly at this stage to avoid over-salting.
Step 7
If you like, add a pinch of whole peppercorns (or ground pepper) for an enhanced aroma. Regular pepper works just as well if you don’t have whole peppercorns.
Step 8
Squeeze out the excess water from the seaweed that has been soaking for 20 minutes. Add the drained seaweed to the pot with the beef and sauté them together for about 3 minutes. This step helps to release the seaweed’s savory flavor and integrate it with the beef.
Step 9
Now, pour 1.1 liters (about 5.5 cups) of water into the pot. Once the water is added, turn the heat up to high.
Step 10
Add the 1 tablespoon of minced garlic you prepared earlier. Garlic will help infuse the broth with its deep flavor.
Step 11
Next, add 3 tablespoons of soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang) and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce to enhance the umami. Fish sauce adds a refreshing and deep flavor to the seaweed soup.
Step 12
As the soup is boiling vigorously over high heat, impurities or scum may rise to the surface. Skim these off cleanly with a spoon. This will result in a clearer and cleaner broth. Once the soup is at a rolling boil, reduce the heat slightly to medium.
Step 13
Continue to simmer the soup over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. During this time, the flavors of the seaweed and beef will fully infuse into the broth, creating a rich and deep Miyeok-guk. Taste the soup periodically and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed, according to your preference.
Step 14
Finally, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for a little longer. This final simmer allows the flavors to meld beautifully, resulting in a more profound taste. Turn off the heat.
Step 15
Enjoy your delicious and nourishing Miyeok-guk, a soup that warms both body and soul!
