Clear Bajirak Sundubu Tang (Soft Tofu Soup with Clams)
A clear, refreshing soup made with manila clam broth and soft tofu, served with a spicy seasoning sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Simmered clear without many vegetables to highlight the clean, natural flavor of manila clams and soft tofu. Served with a seasoning sauce packed with Cheongyang chili pepper so you can adjust the spiciness to your liking, making it perfect for a light late-night snack or a comforting meal.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Manila clams1 pack, 300 g
- Soft tofu (sundubu)1 pack, 400 g
- Kelp broth2 cups
- Red chili peppera little
- Large green onion (daepa)a little
Seasoning sauce
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) (or soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1.5 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Minced green onion1 tsp
- Minced Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1 tsp
- Sugar0.5 tsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- Ground toasted sesame seeds1 tsp
For purging clams
- Water5 cups
- Salt3 tbsp (coarse sea salt)
- Even bagged clams sold in saltwater are not completely purged, so you should leave them in saltwater for about 1-2 hours. Cover with a lid or place in a dark, cool spot for about 5-6 hours.
- When purging in the hot summer, place them in the refrigerator.
- Soak 1 piece of dried kelp (10 cm square) in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.
- You can also use rich anchovy broth instead of clams for a deep, savory flavor.
Steps
1. You need to purge the clams so the broth stays clean and free of sand or grit.
For 5 cups of water, add 3 tbsp of coarse sea salt, and once the salt dissolves, add the clams. You need enough saltwater to submerge the clams.
Even bagged clams sold in saltwater are not completely purged, so you should leave them in saltwater for about 1-2 hours.
2. Cover with a lid or place in a dark, cool spot for about 5-6 hours.
In the hot summer, place them in the refrigerator.
Recreating an environment similar to the seashore where clams live helps them breathe and spit out grit.
3. You can see the clams opening their shells and breathing. After 5 hours, the bottom of the bowl is full of mud and sand.
4. Rinse several times in clean water and drain in a strainer.
5. Now let us start making the soft tofu soup.
Soak 1 piece of dried kelp (10 cm square) in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes, then add the manila clams and bring to a boil.
6. Once the water starts boiling, the clams will open their shells. Turn off the heat, strain and reserve the broth, and set the clam meat aside separately.
7. Pour the clam broth into an earthenware pot, and once it starts boiling...
You can also use rich anchovy broth instead of clams for a deep, savory flavor.
8. Add the soft tofu and boil vigorously.
10
9. At the end, add the clam meat and...
10. Top with thinly sliced red chili pepper and large green onion, then simmer gently for about 1 minute.
Seasoning sauce: 2 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp minced green onion, 1 tsp minced Cheongyang chili pepper, 0.5 tsp minced red chili pepper, 0.5 tsp sugar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp ground toasted sesame seeds.
This seasoning sauce is also great served with banquet noodles or kalguksu.
Spoon the seasoning sauce over the soup to enjoy.
With spicy Cheongyang chili peppers in the seasoning sauce, the broth turns nice and spicy.
Ppunwife's tips
- Purging the clams is necessary to keep the broth clean without sand or grit.
- Recreating an environment similar to the seashore where clams live helps them breathe and spit out grit.
- This seasoning sauce is also great served with banquet noodles or kalguksu.
FAQ
Is there an alternative broth ingredient I can use instead of manila clams?
You can use rich, deeply simmered anchovy broth instead of manila clams to enjoy a rich, savory taste.
Do I still need to purge bagged manila clams?
Even bagged clams are not completely purged, so it is best to soak them in saltwater in a dark place for at least 1 to 2 hours.
Can the seasoning sauce served with the soft tofu soup be used for other dishes?
This seasoning sauce made with Cheongyang chili pepper and gochugaru also pairs wonderfully with banquet noodles or kalguksu.
