Muk Oi Naengguk (Cold Jelly and Cucumber Soup)
A refreshing summer cold soup for 2 featuring acorn jelly and crisp cucumber in a light kelp 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 →
A clean-tasting cold soup for 2 made with chilled kelp broth seasoned with vinegar and soy sauce. Tossed with springy acorn jelly, crisp cucumber, and aged sour kimchi, it makes a satisfying one-bowl meal on its own.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cucumber1/2
- Aged sour kimchi100 g (1 cup, chopped kimchi)
- Acorn jelly (dotorimuk)1/2 pack
- Scallions (jjokpa) (or large green onion (daepa))2 tbsp (finely chopped)
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
Chilled Soup
- Kelp broth3 cups
- Vinegar3 tbsp
- Sugar1 1/2 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
Kelp Broth
- Dried kelp (dasima)3 pieces (5 cm square pieces)
- Bottled water3 cups
- Steep 3 pieces of 5 cm square dried kelp in 3 cups of bottled water for 30 minutes.
- If the kimchi is very sour, toss it with a little sugar to balance the sourness.
Steps
Steep the dried kelp in cold water for 30 minutes.
Remove the kelp, then add 3 tbsp vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp minced garlic. Mix well and place in the refrigerator to chill.
If you freeze this soup base into ice cubes and add them to the soup, you can enjoy it even colder.
You can adjust the amount of sugar or vinegar to your taste, but I find this ratio just right.
Julienne all the soup ingredients, and finely chop only the scallions.
If the kimchi is very sour, toss it with a little sugar to balance the sourness.
Once the ingredients and soup broth are thoroughly chilled, arrange everything evenly in a bowl and pour the chilled broth over it, and it will look like this.
It has a completely different charm from warm muk sabal made with rich anchovy broth.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you freeze this soup base into ice cubes and add them to the soup, you can enjoy it even colder.
- You can adjust the amount of sugar or vinegar to your taste.
- It is also wonderful served with cooled cooked rice, thin wheat noodles (somyeon), or a garnish of seaweed flakes.
FAQ
What should I do if the kimchi is too sour?
If the kimchi has a strong sourness, tossing it lightly with a pinch of sugar will gently mellow out the acidity.
Is there a trick to enjoying the soup broth even colder?
Freeze some of the prepared cold broth in an ice tray and float those broth cubes in the bowl so it stays ice-cold without diluting the flavor.
Does this cold soup go well with rice or noodles?
Boiling some thin wheat noodles (somyeon) or mixing in cold cooked rice turns it into a hearty, satisfying meal.
