Kongnamul-guk (Soybean Sprout Soup)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium pot with a tight-fitting lid
• •Slotted spoon or small strainer
• •Large bowl for rinsing sprouts

Instructions

1. 1

   Pick the sprouts

   Rinse the soybean sprouts in a large bowl of cold water and lift them out by hand, leaving any skins behind. Pinch away blackened roots or tired yellow heads. Do not trim every tail for vanity; the tails are part of the texture, and a weeknight soup should not ask you to pretend otherwise.

   Fresh kongnamul smells clean and nutty, not sour. If the package smells fermented before it touches the pot, cook something else tonight.
2. 2

   Make the broth

   Put the water, anchovies, and kelp in a medium pot and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Pull the kelp out as soon as the water simmers, about 6 to 7 minutes, because kelp left too long turns the broth slick and bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 minutes more, then remove them. You should have about 5 1/2 cups of clear savory broth.

3. 3

   Set the lid rule

   Add the rinsed soybean sprouts and minced garlic to the broth. Now choose your method: lid on, or lid off. For the cleanest home soup, put the lid on and keep it there for 8 minutes over medium heat. Do not lift it to check. Half-cooked sprouts hit with cold air develop the smell people remember for the wrong reason.

   If your pot lid is missing, cook the soup uncovered from the start for 10 minutes instead. That is allowed. Changing your mind halfway is the problem.
4. 4

   Season lightly

   After 8 minutes, remove the lid and season with the guk-ganjang and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir once and taste the broth, not just the sprouts. It should be clean and lightly salty, because it will be eaten with rice. Add more salt only 1/8 teaspoon at a time. Too much soy sauce darkens the soup and covers the sprout flavor.

5. 5

   Finish the pot

   Simmer uncovered for 2 more minutes so the seasoning settles into the broth. Add the sliced scallion and green chili if using, then turn off the heat. The scallion should soften without losing its green color. If you want a sharper hangover-style bowl, add the gochugaru at the table rather than muddying the whole pot.

6. 6

   Serve with rice

   Ladle the soup into bowls with plenty of sprouts in each serving. Scatter sesame seeds only if you like them; they are not needed for the soup to be correct. Serve with hot rice, kimchi, and one or two small banchan. This is not a soup that waits politely for an hour. Eat it while the sprouts still have life in them.

Chef Tips

• •Do not skip picking over the sprouts. One tired handful can make a clean soup taste old, and the whole dish is too plain to hide it.
• •Guk-ganjang seasons without making the soup taste like regular soy sauce. If you only have all-purpose soy sauce, use 2 teaspoons soy sauce plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, then taste before adding more.
• •Anchovy-kelp broth is the best base here, but a clean vegetable broth works for a temple-style table. Leave out the garlic too if you are cooking in that tradition, and season with salt and a little more scallion.
• •For a Jeonju-style meal, put a scoop of hot rice in a deep bowl and ladle the soup over it. Add chopped kimchi, a little gochugaru, and an egg on the side if you want the market version's sturdier body.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it back to a simmer before adding the sprouts.
• •Rinse and pick over the soybean sprouts up to 1 day ahead, then drain well and refrigerate in a covered container lined with a clean towel.
• •The finished soup is best the day it is made. Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated, but reheat gently and stop as soon as the broth is hot so the sprouts do not go limp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 390g)