Hearty Dakbaeksuk (Korean Chicken Soup) with Savory Mung Bean Porridge Recipe
Hearty Dakbaeksuk (Korean Chicken Soup) with Savory Mung Bean Porridge Recipe
A Special Dish: Enjoying Dakbaeksuk with Mung Bean Porridge Together
After a long time, I’ve made Dakbaeksuk with mung beans. While Dakbaeksuk itself is delicious, the savory and tender mung bean porridge is even more delightful. This dish is wonderfully nourishing and comforting.
Ingredients- 2 chickens (approx. 11 Korean size)
- 1 cup mung beans
- 3 cups glutinous rice
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 potato
- 1 handful of jujube dates
- 1 handful of garlic cloves
- 3 liters water
- 1 small bundle of birch tree leaves (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare all the aromatics that will add depth to the soup: one potato, a handful of jujube dates, garlic cloves, and optional birch tree leaves. Peel the potato and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2
Ensure the chicken is fresh and clean. Trim off any excess fat from the tail end, wing tips, and neck area. Carefully open the cavity and thoroughly rinse out any internal giblets or debris to ensure a clean, odor-free broth.
Step 3
Soak the mung beans and glutinous rice in water beforehand. It’s best to soak them at least 2-3 hours in advance, or even overnight. Properly soaked beans and rice will cook down into a wonderfully tender and digestible porridge.
Step 4
Now, let’s assemble the soup. In a heavy-bottomed pot, spread the soaked mung beans and glutinous rice at the bottom. Place the cleaned chicken on top. Add the prepared potato, birch tree leaves (if using), jujube dates, and garlic cloves. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of sea salt, then pour in 3 liters of water. Bring everything to a boil over high heat.
Step 5
Simmer the soup for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the mung beans and rice have softened into a porridge. The exact cooking time will depend on how well the beans and rice were soaked. You can start on high heat and then reduce to medium-low to let it simmer gently. *For a thicker porridge consistency, cover the pot and let it steam for an additional 5-10 minutes after cooking.
Step 6
Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a serving plate. Ladle the delicious mung bean porridge into separate bowls. For the chicken breast, which can sometimes be a bit dry, shred it into bite-sized pieces and mix it into the warm mung bean porridge for an extra flavorful and enjoyable meal. *A good indicator that the chicken is fully cooked is when the meat around the thigh bone starts to pull away.
