Hearty Hwangtae Miyeok Guk (Seaweed Soup with Dried Pollack)
A rich and nourishing seaweed soup made with seasoned dried pollack, perilla seed powder, and chewy glutinous rice cake balls.
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 →
Seasoned dried shredded yellow pollack and seaweed are sauteed in perilla oil, then simmered in broth to create a deep, savory flavor. Enriched with perilla seed powder and glutinous rice cake balls, it makes a comforting meal on chilly days that is filling enough even without rice.
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Cook time
- 23 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried shredded yellow pollack (hwangtae-chae) (or dried pollock strips)30 g
- Dried seaweed (miyeok)20 g
- Perilla oil (or toasted sesame oil)3 tbsp
- Broth7 cups
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Perilla seed powder3 tbsp
- Glutinous rice cake balls10 (optional)
Seasoning for dried pollack
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Seaweed expands dramatically as it soaks, so pour in at least 3 to 4 times its volume of water. It usually takes around 30 minutes to rehydrate; for stemless seaweed, you can shorten the soaking time to preserve better texture.
- Depending on your preference, you can omit the glutinous rice cake balls or perilla seed powder.
Steps
I cleaned and prepared a whole dried pollack. This is what came from one whole fish.
You can also use dried shredded yellow pollack or dried pollack strips.
I used pre-cut seaweed, and I also prepared glutinous rice cake balls to make it a meal substitute, though these are optional.
I really love adding perilla seed powder, so I measured out about 3 tbsp. Depending on your preference, you can omit the glutinous rice cake balls or perilla seed powder.
Seaweed expands dramatically as it soaks, so pour in at least 3 to 4 times its volume of water.
It usually takes around 30 minutes to rehydrate; for stemless seaweed, you can shorten the soaking time to preserve better texture.
Rub the soaked seaweed gently by hand and rinse it under running water, then drain it in a strainer.
Mine was pre-cut so I didn't slice it, but cut yours into bite-sized pieces if needed.
Soak the dried shredded yellow pollack briefly in water, squeeze out the excess moisture, and season it with minced garlic, soup soy sauce, and mirin.
Do not throw away the soaking water from the pollack; it is great to add into the broth when making it.
Using the pollack soaking water, the head trimmed from the dried pollack, and a bit of dried anchovies and dried kelp, I made 7 cups of broth.
When you make seaweed soup with such a deep broth, it turns into a rich and restorative soup like a tonic food.
Heat perilla oil or toasted sesame oil in a heated pot, add the seaweed and pollack, saute briskly for about 2 to 3 minutes, and once the pollack curls as it cooks, pour in the broth.
Once it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes so the seaweed and pollack turn tender and the broth develops flavor, then add the soup soy sauce and glutinous rice cake balls.
If you do not have rice cake balls or do not care for them, you can skip them.
Most seaweed available nowadays is very tender, so adjust the simmering time to your preferred texture.
If using wild rock seaweed, you need to simmer it for more than 20 minutes longer.
Once the rice cake balls cook and float to the surface, add the perilla seed powder, taste the soup, adjust with salt if it is on the bland side, and let it simmer just briefly.
I felt it became a bit bland after adding the perilla seed powder, so I added 1/2 tsp of salt.
Ppunwife's tips
- Do not throw away the water used to soak the dried pollack; add it to the broth for richer flavor.
- Adjust the simmering time depending on the texture of the seaweed; if using wild rock seaweed, simmer for more than 20 minutes longer.
FAQ
Do I have to add the rice cake balls or perilla seed powder?
No, you can easily omit both the glutinous rice cake balls and the perilla seed powder to make a classic dried pollack seaweed soup.
Can I use other ingredients instead of dried shredded yellow pollack?
Yes, you can use regular dried pollack strips or clean and tear up a whole dried pollack instead.
Does the cooking time vary depending on the type of seaweed?
Tender regular seaweed needs only about 20 minutes of simmering, but wild rock seaweed takes more than 20 minutes longer to soften properly.
