Gaji Naengguk (Cold Eggplant Soup)
A refreshing summer delicacy of tender steamed eggplant served in sweet and tangy cold anchovy broth.
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 →
In-season summer eggplant is steamed just right, tossed in seasoning, and finished with chilled anchovy broth poured over it. Freezing some of the seasoned cold soup broth into ice cubes keeps the soup icy cold to the very end without watering down the flavor as the ice melts.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Cook time
- 15 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Eggplant2, 300 g
Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Minced green onion1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced red chili pepper1 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Sugar1/2 tbsp
- Ground toasted sesame seeds
Cold soup broth
- Anchovy broth2 cups
- Vinegar1 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Combine 3 cups water, dried kelp, and dried soup anchovies, and let steep for 30 minutes.
- Do not add all the sugar and vinegar at once; adjust the amounts to suit your taste.
Steps
1. Add 1 piece of dried kelp (dasima) (5 cm square) and 5 dried soup anchovies to 3 cups of water, let it sit and steep for 30 minutes, then place over heat and bring to a rolling boil.
2. Once the water begins to boil, remove the kelp, simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes more, then scoop out the anchovies and let the broth cool.
3. Mix 2 cups of anchovy broth with 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar to make the cold soup broth, then keep it in the refrigerator to chill.
4. Pour some of the prepared cold broth into an ice cube tray and freeze it.
Floating plain water ice cubes in cold soup dilutes the broth as they melt, but freezing the seasoned broth into cubes lets you enjoy cold, flavorful soup to the very last bite.
5. Cut the eggplant in half as shown in the picture.
6. Place the eggplant in a steaming basket once steam rises, steam for within 5 minutes, and let the steam dissipate.
Steaming too long makes it mushy and robs it of its bite.
7. When tearing steamed eggplant by hand, it sometimes breaks off before splitting all the way or fails to tear to an even thickness; when that happens, pressing down firmly with a chopstick and dragging it through will give you the thickness you want.
8. Add the eggplant and all the seasoning ingredients to a bowl and gently toss by hand.
Depending on your preference, you can also finely slice and add Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili).
I finely minced red chili pepper, but you can also season it with 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes).
The seasoned eggplant is complete.
When eating it just as a seasoned side dish, add about 1 tsp of toasted sesame oil.
Pour the chilled cold soup broth over the seasoned eggplant until it is submerged, and add the frozen broth ice cubes to complete the cold eggplant soup.
If you make plenty of cold soup broth, keep half in the fridge, and freeze the rest into ice cubes, you can quickly make seasoned cucumber or seasoned eggplant and pour the broth over whenever you crave cold soup, letting you enjoy both a side dish and cold soup at once.
Ppunwife's tips
- Floating plain water ice cubes in cold soup dilutes the broth as they melt, but freezing the seasoned broth into cubes lets you enjoy cold, flavorful soup to the very last bite.
- Steaming too long makes it mushy and robs it of its bite.
- When tearing steamed eggplant by hand, it sometimes breaks off before splitting all the way or fails to tear to an even thickness; when that happens, pressing down firmly with a chopstick and dragging it through will give you the thickness you want.
FAQ
How can I prevent the broth from becoming diluted as the ice melts?
Freeze the seasoned cold soup broth in an ice cube tray in advance; when these cubes melt into the soup, the flavor will not get watered down.
How long should the eggplant be steamed for the best texture?
Steam briefly in a preheated steamer for within 5 minutes so it stays pleasantly tender without turning mushy.
Is there a trick to tearing steamed eggplant into even strips?
When it is tricky to tear by hand, press firmly down the eggplant with a chopstick and drag it through to slice it neatly to your desired thickness.
How can I serve this as a seasoned side dish instead of a cold soup?
Add about 1 tsp of toasted sesame oil to the seasoned eggplant to enjoy it as a savory, nutty banchan.
