Spicy, Refreshing Eomuk Tang (Fish Cake Soup) with Udon
A warming soup cooked with fish cake and udon noodles in a rich, spicy 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 →
Simmered with dried anchovies, kelp, and dried red chili pepper, this broth delivers a refreshing, spicy umami. Cooked together with blanched fish cake and chewy udon noodles, it makes a satisfying meal and pairs wonderfully as a bar snack on chilly winter days.
- Servings
- 3 servings
- Cook time
- 11 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Fish cake (eomuk)600 g
- Ssukgat (crown daisy)1/2 handful
- Large green onion (daepa)1/3 stalks
- Red chili pepper1
- Udon noodles
Broth ingredients
- Water10 cups
- Dried soup anchovies20
- Korean radish (mu)100 g
- Dried kelp (dasima)2 pieces (10 cm square)
- Dried red chili pepper3
- Dried shiitake mushrooms3–4
- Onion1/2
- Scallion roots4
Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Salt1/3 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
- If you have dried shrimp, dried pollack heads, or dipori (large dried herrings), you can add them along with the anchovies. Instead of garlic, I substituted scallion roots and onion. Whole garlic cloves work well too.
- I also prepared dried red chili peppers for a spicy kick. If you don't have them, Cheongyang chili peppers are fine.
- Try adding garaetteok (rice cake cylinders) or hard-boiled eggs instead of udon.
- Prepare 600 g of fish cake in various shapes and pour boiling water over it to remove excess oil.
- Blanch the udon noodles in boiling water for about 1 minute, drain, and add them at the very end of cooking the soup.
Steps
I prepared the broth ingredients: 20 dried soup anchovies, 100 g Korean radish, 2 pieces of dried kelp (10 cm square), 3 dried red chili peppers, 3~4 dried shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 onion, and 4 scallion roots.
If you have dried shrimp, dried pollack heads, or dipori (large dried anchovies), you can add them along with the anchovies,
and instead of adding garlic, I substituted scallion roots and onion.
You can also add whole garlic cloves.
I also prepared dried red chili peppers to give it a spicy kick. If you don't have them, Cheongyang chili peppers are fine.
First, add all the broth ingredients to 10 cups of water, and once the water starts boiling,
simmer gently for at least 10 minutes to make the broth.
Strain through a sieve to collect only the broth, and discard the rest of the ingredients except the radish.
Cut the radish into bite-sized pieces; we will add it at the very end when boiling the fish cake soup.
You can prepare the remaining ingredients while the broth simmers.
Prepare 600 g of fish cake in various shapes and pour boiling water over it to remove excess oil.
The vegetables to cook in at the end are red chili pepper, large green onion, and ssukgat.
Fragrant ssukgat pairs wonderfully with fish cake soup, so be sure to include it.
Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, and although not pictured, I also prepared udon noodles.
Blanch the udon noodles in boiling water for about 1 minute, drain them,
and add them at the very end of the soup.
Try adding garaetteok or hard-boiled eggs instead of udon.
Add the broth to a hot pot, and when it boils, add soup soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and mirin...
Add all the fish cake and simmer. Once the fish cake flavor infuses into the broth, taste it, adjust the seasoning with salt,
and top with the sliced radish, udon, ssukgat, green onion, and red chili pepper. Bring it to a brief boil, and it is finished.
Cut the fish cake into bite-sized pieces and serve it generously along with the noodles and vegetables for a hearty bowl of fish cake soup.
Ppunwife's tips
- Strain through a sieve to collect only the broth, and discard the rest of the ingredients except for the radish. Cut the radish into bite-sized pieces to add at the very end of cooking the soup.
- Prepare 600 g of fish cake in various shapes and pour boiling water over it to remove excess oil.
- Fragrant ssukgat pairs wonderfully with fish cake soup, so be sure to include it.
FAQ
What can I substitute if I don't have dried red chili peppers for the broth?
If you don't have dried red chili peppers, you can use Cheongyang chili peppers instead to add a spicy kick.
Why do you pour boiling water over the fish cake before cooking?
Pouring boiling water over the fish cake rinses away excess oil and surface impurities for a cleaner broth.
Are there other ingredients that go well instead of udon noodles?
Instead of udon noodles, adding garaetteok (rice cake cylinders) or hard-boiled eggs works wonderfully.
Can I add garlic when making the broth?
Yes, you can simmer whole garlic cloves in the broth instead of scallion roots and onion.
