Sogogi Baechu Doenjang Guk (Beef Cabbage Soybean Paste Soup)
A soup dish made with savory beef and sweet baby napa cabbage simmered in a rich doenjang 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 2 to 3-serving soup dish made by stir-frying sweet baby napa cabbage and beef before simmering, perfect for mixing with rice on cold days. Adding a bit of fish sauce brings out a deep umami flavor, and it can be prepared relatively easily even on busy mornings.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Beef150 g (soup cut)
- Inner napa cabbage leaves4 leaves (200 g)
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Anchovy broth5 cups
- Perilla oil (or toasted sesame oil)1 tbsp
Seasoning
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1/2 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Doenjang (Korean soybean paste)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Sand lance fish sauce (or dried anchovies)1 tbsp
- Prepare the beef for soup and pat away the blood with paper towels.
- You can add Korean radish along with the cabbage, or try using winter cabbage (eolgari baechu).
- Rice water also goes great in doenjang soup instead of anchovy broth, so feel free to use it.
- If you don't like fish sauce, you can add soup soy sauce or salted fermented shrimp.
Steps
Prepare and slice ingredients
Prepare the beef for soup and pat away the blood with paper towels.
I prepared 4 medium-sized yellow inner napa cabbage leaves. You can add Korean radish along with the cabbage, or try using winter cabbage (eolgari baechu).
Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces and finely slice the large green onion and chili pepper.
Cook
Swirl perilla oil or toasted sesame oil in a pot, add the beef, and add mirin, ground black pepper, and soup soy sauce.
Once the stir-fried beef is cooked through, pour in the broth and bring it to a rolling boil. Skim off any foam that rises to make a clean broth.
Rice water also goes great in doenjang soup instead of anchovy broth, so feel free to use it.
Add the doenjang and dissolve it, then add the cabbage, gochugaru, minced garlic, and fish sauce, and simmer until the cabbage wilts down.
When you add fish sauce to soup dishes, the aroma cooks off while simmering and leaves a deep flavor, so I tend to use it often; if you don't like fish sauce, you can add soup soy sauce or salted fermented shrimp.
Taste the broth, and if it's too bland, adjust the seasoning with salt.
At the end, add the large green onion and chili pepper, and simmer just a bit longer to let the aromas infuse, and it is finished.
Ppunwife's tips
- Skim off any foam that rises to make a clean broth.
- When you add fish sauce to soup dishes, the aroma cooks off while simmering and leaves a deep flavor, so I tend to use it often; if you don't like fish sauce, you can add soup soy sauce or salted fermented shrimp.
- Taste the broth, and if it's too bland, adjust the seasoning with salt.
FAQ
Can I use a different broth instead of anchovy broth?
Using rice water instead of anchovy broth also goes wonderfully with doenjang soup.
Is there a seasoning I can use instead of fish sauce when adjusting the flavor?
If you find the distinct aroma of fish sauce overwhelming, you can substitute soup soy sauce or salted fermented shrimp, and adjust any lacking seasoning with salt.
Are there other vegetables that go well besides baby napa cabbage?
It is also great to slice and add Korean radish alongside the cabbage, or to use winter cabbage (eolgari baechu) instead.
