Kongnamul-gukbap (Jeonju Bean Sprout Rice Soup)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4- to 5-quart pot with a tight lid
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Four heatproof cups for suran eggs
• •Deep soup bowls or ttukbaegi

Instructions

1. 1

   Sort the sprouts

   Rinse the soybean sprouts in cold water and lift away loose yellow hulls. Do not spend the evening trimming every tail unless the ends are brown. The tails carry flavor and texture, and this is a market bowl, not a garnish lesson. Drain them well and keep them ready.

2. 2

   Build the broth

   Put the water, anchovies, kelp, radish, and onion in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. When the water reaches a simmer, pull out the kelp right away; leave it too long and it gives the broth a slick bitterness. Simmer the anchovies, radish, and onion for 15 minutes more, then strain. You should have about 6 1/2 cups clear broth. Add a little water if you are short.

   Remove the anchovy heads and dark guts before they go into the pot. People blame fishiness on anchovies, but often it is just careless cleaning.
3. 3

   Boil sprouts covered

   Return the broth to the pot and add the drained soybean sprouts. Cover the pot before it comes back to a boil. Once you hear a steady boil under the lid, lower the heat to medium and cook 8 minutes without lifting the lid. Covered from start to finish, or uncovered from start to finish. Halfway is where the raw grassy smell comes from, and I won't ask you to invite that into your kitchen.

4. 4

   Season the soup

   Uncover the pot after the full 8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, guk-ganjang, chopped saeujeot, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the sliced squid now if using, and simmer uncovered for 2 minutes. Taste the broth. It should be clean and lightly salty, because the gim, egg, and table saeujeot will deepen each bowl later.

5. 5

   Set the eggs

   Crack one egg into each of four small heatproof cups. Ladle 3 tablespoons of boiling broth over each egg, cover the cups, and let them sit 3 to 4 minutes for suran (a softly set egg). If you need the eggs fully cooked, slide them into the simmering soup instead and cook 4 minutes, until the yolks thicken. That is the honest adjustment.

   Use pasteurized eggs if you are serving anyone who should avoid lightly cooked eggs. The Jeonju habit is soft, but the table in front of you matters too.
6. 6

   Warm the rice

   Divide 1 cup cooked rice into each warm deep bowl or ttukbaegi. If the rice is cold from the refrigerator, ladle a little hot broth over it, wait 20 seconds, and pour that broth back into the pot while holding the rice in place with a spoon. This wakes the rice without boiling it into porridge.

7. 7

   Finish the bowls

   Ladle the broth and plenty of soybean sprouts over each bowl of rice. Top with scallions, crushed gim, a pinch of gochugaru if you want it, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve the soft egg cup on the side, Jeonju market style, or slide the egg into the bowl at the table. Put extra saeujeot and gochugaru nearby, but taste before adding. Let the sprouts still taste like sprouts.

Chef Tips

• •Buy soybean sprouts with firm white stems, bright yellow heads, and no sour smell. Use them the day you buy them if you can. Old sprouts make a soup taste tired before you even season it.
• •A glass lid helps nervous cooks because you can see the boil without lifting. If your lid is metal, listen for the steady knocking boil, start your timer, and leave it alone.
• •Saeujeot varies wildly in salt. Chop the shrimp so it seasons evenly, add the measured tablespoon first, then adjust at the table. That is how a clean soup stays clean.
• •Cooked rice from yesterday is not a weakness here. Warm it with broth, do not boil it hard, and the grains will stay alive in the bowl.
• •Squid is common in many Jeonju bowls, but it is not the spine of the dish. If your market has good squid, add a little at the end. If it smells strong or looks dull, leave it out without regret.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for 1 month. Reheat it before cooking the sprouts.
• •Cook the rice a day ahead if that suits your schedule. Keep it chilled, then warm it with a ladle of broth before serving.
• •Do not cook the soybean sprouts ahead for this soup. Their clean crunch is the point, and reheated sprouts lose it quickly.
• •Leftover soup without eggs keeps 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently and add fresh gim, scallion, and egg at serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 760g)