Chaeso Yuksu (채소육수, Korean Vegetable Stock)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart heavy pot with lid
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Large heatproof bowl or measuring jug
• •Clean storage containers in 1-cup and 2-cup sizes

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean and cut

   Wipe the kelp with a barely damp cloth, but do not wash off the pale powder on the surface. That powder is flavor. Rinse the dried shiitake briefly if dusty. Cut the radish into 1/2-inch slabs so it gives sweetness without falling apart and clouding the stock. Scrub the scallion roots until no grit remains.

2. 2

   Soak cold

   Put the water, kelp, and dried shiitake in a 4-quart pot and let them soak 30 minutes. Cold water draws out the kelp and mushroom slowly, giving body before the fire ever starts. If you have time, cover the pot and soak it in the refrigerator overnight for a deeper stock.

   Do not skip the soak if your mushrooms are thick. Dry shiitake stems carry a lot of flavor, but they need time to give it up.
3. 3

   Add vegetables

   Add the radish, onion, and scallion roots to the pot. For a strict temple-style stock, leave out the onion and scallion roots and add 100g more radish plus 2 extra shiitake stems instead. That keeps the broth sweet and full without using osinchae, the five pungent vegetables.

4. 4

   Warm it slowly

   Set the pot over medium-low heat and bring it up slowly, about 20 minutes, until small bubbles gather around the edge. Lift out the kelp before the pot reaches a full boil. Boiled hard, kelp turns the broth slick and faintly bitter. Treated gently, it gives a clean sea backbone.

5. 5

   Simmer quietly

   Keep the pot at a gentle simmer for 30 to 35 minutes more, with only small bubbles rising. Do not let it roll hard. The radish should look slightly translucent at the edges and the onion should slump. Do not add salt. This is a base, and the dish you cook tomorrow will decide its own seasoning.

6. 6

   Strain cleanly

   Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or measuring jug. Do not press hard on the vegetables, or you push cloudiness and bitterness into the broth. You should have about 8 cups. If you have more, simmer the strained stock a few minutes to concentrate it; if you have less, add water back to 8 cups and write that down.

7. 7

   Cool and store

   Cool the stock quickly, then refrigerate it in clean containers within 2 hours. It keeps 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Freeze some in 1-cup portions for jjigae and 2-cup portions for noodle bowls. That is how a weeknight cook thanks yesterday's cook.

Chef Tips

• •Kelp timing is the whole lesson. Pull it before a full boil, even if you want a stronger stock. Strength comes from soaking and gentle heat, not punishment.
• •Scallion roots are a house-kitchen habit, not strict monastery practice. If you are cooking temple-style, omit them and the onion. Add extra radish and mushroom stems instead.
• •Save only clean trimmings: radish peels, mushroom stems, and scallion roots. Old cabbage leaves, broccoli stems, and tired vegetables make a muddy, sulfurous stock. A stock pot is not a trash bowl.
• •Keep this stock unsalted. For soup, start with 2 cups stock per serving and season the finished dish with soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), salt, doenjang, or gochujang according to that recipe.
• •For a stronger freezer concentrate, simmer the strained stock down to 4 cups. Freeze it, then dilute with the same amount of water when you cook.

Advance Preparation

• •Soak the kelp and mushrooms in the measured water overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, add the vegetables and simmer as written.
• •Make a full batch once a week and refrigerate up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
• •Keep scrubbed scallion roots and shiitake stems in a freezer bag for up to 1 month, then use them directly from frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)