Auk Guk (Mallow Soup with Soybean Paste)

Ingredients

• Use the tender parts of the mallow stems as they are. Just like peeling sweet potato stems or pumpkin leaf stems, snap the stem and pull the stringy peel all the way down toward the leaves. Discard the thick, tough stems and set aside the tender stems and leaves.
• To remove the grassy smell, knead the mallow vigorously by hand, as if washing laundry, until plenty of green, viscous liquid is released, then rinse it several times until the water runs clear.
• If you like dried shrimp, you can use dried shrimp instead of anchovy broth.

Steps

1. 
   

   1. Use the tender parts of the mallow stems as they are. Snap the stems as if peeling sweet potato stems or pumpkin leaf stems, and pull the stringy peel all the way down to the leaves.

   2. Discard the snapped, thick, tough stems and prepare the tender stems and trimmed leaves.

   This first step is essential to enjoy tender auk guk.

   After trimming, I have about 200g.

2. 
   

   3. This is the second prep step, and you must do it to remove the grassy smell.

   Knead the mallow vigorously with your hands so that plenty of green, sticky liquid comes out.

   Scrub it as if doing laundry; it does not matter if the mallow leaves tear.

   4. Place it in a strainer and rinse it several times in water until the water runs clear.

3. 
   

   5. Squeeze the excess water thoroughly from the prepared mallow, and slice the large green onion and red chili pepper diagonally.

   6. When making auk guk, most home cooks add dried shrimp to use as the broth. When my children were young and even with my husband now, while they eat dried shrimp as a side dish, they do not really like broth made with dried shrimp, so I did not add dried shrimp to the broth and made a rich anchovy broth instead.

   Simmer the dried anchovies and dried kelp in water from washing rice to extract a rich broth.

   If you like dried shrimp, you can prepare 1/3 cup for 2 servings along with the other ingredients in step 5.

   Add the dried kelp and dried anchovies to 7 cups of water from washing rice and boil until the broth reduces to about 5 cups; 10 minutes after the water starts boiling, take out the dried kelp and continue boiling.

   You can also steep the dried kelp in the water from washing rice for about 30 minutes, then add only the dried anchovies and boil.

   When making doenjang jjigae or doenjang guk, making anchovy broth with water from washing rice yields a much more savory and deep flavor.

   Broth: 7 cups water from washing rice (=water), 1 piece dried kelp (dasima) (10 cm square), 15 dried soup anchovies

4. 
   

   7. Add doenjang to the rich anchovy broth, strain out the solids through a sieve, and bring it to a boil.

   If you prefer dried shrimp broth instead of anchovy broth, add 1/3 cup of dried shrimp to 5 cups of plain water and boil them together.

   If using homemade doenjang like I do, use about 1 tbsp; if using store-bought doenjang, you can increase the amount a little.

   If you like soup with plenty of doenjang flavor, just adjust the seasoning with very little soup soy sauce.

   8. Add the mallow and...

5. 

   10

   

   9. Add gochugaru, soup soy sauce, and minced garlic, then bring to a boil.

   10. Cover with a lid and simmer for more than 15 minutes so the ingredients and seasonings blend together evenly...

   Soybean paste soup made with homemade doenjang is delicious when you take the time to simmer it well so the deep flavor infuses thoroughly.

   11

6. 

   12

   

   11. Add the red chili pepper and large green onion...

   If you want it spicy, you can also slice and add about 1 Cheongyang chili pepper at this point.

   12. Simmer a bit more until the large green onion and red chili pepper are fully cooked, and it is done.

   

   Just looking at this savory, warm auk guk makes it feel like the approaching winter is running far away.

   As everyone knows, anything eaten in season acts like a tonic.

   I made it early on, but I am finally posting it now.

   It seems mallow is still widely available at markets, so make it often before winter truly arrives.

Ppunwife's tips

• When making doenjang jjigae or doenjang guk, making anchovy broth with water from washing rice gives it a much more savory and deep flavor.
• Soybean paste soup made with homemade doenjang is delicious when you take the time to simmer it well so the deep flavor infuses thoroughly.
• If you want it spicy, you can slice and add about 1 Cheongyang chili pepper when you add the large green onion and red chili pepper.

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