Refreshing Dotorimuk Naengguk (Cold Acorn Jelly Soup)
A refreshing summer delicacy of bouncy acorn jelly and aged sour kimchi served in a chilled broth seasoned with tuna extract sauce and vinegar.
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 delightful one-bowl summer dish harmoniously combining bouncy acorn jelly, crisp cucumber, and tangy aged sour kimchi. Freezing some of the broth ahead of time into cubes ensures that as the ice melts, the flavor never gets diluted, letting you enjoy a rich taste down to the last spoonful. With simple, easy-to-find ingredients, it is perfect for whipping up 2 servings.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Acorn jelly (dotorimuk)1 pack, 300 g
- Cucumber1/2
- Aged sour kimchi100 g
- Sugar1/2 tsp
- Seasoned dried seaweed sheets1 pack
- Large green onion (daepa)a little
- Toasted sesame seedsa little
Chilled Broth Ingredients
- Bottled water5 cups
- Minced garlic1/2 tbsp
- Vinegar4 tbsp
- Sugar3 tbsp
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)2 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Store-bought acorn jelly tends to be stiff, so blanching it in boiling water for 2–3 minutes and then rinsing it in cold water makes it bouncy and chewy.
- If making the chilled broth feels bothersome, you can use commercial naengmyeon broth instead.
Steps
Make the chilled broth
Add the chilled broth ingredients (4 tbsp vinegar, 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp tuna extract sauce, 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, 3 tbsp sugar) to the bottled water, mix well, and taste.
It tasted a bit bland, so I added 1/2 tsp of salt; since chilled soup is enjoyed cold, adjust the sugar and vinegar to your taste so the flavor stays bold.
I poured some into an ice cube tray and froze it.
If you float regular ice, it waters down the broth as you eat, but adding frozen broth cubes lets you enjoy it deliciously to the very end.
Freezing it into cubes and keeping it stocked comes in very handy whenever you want to enjoy mul-naengmyeon or cold soups.
Slice the ingredients
Slice the ingredients
Store-bought acorn jelly will usually say on the package to blanch it in boiling water for 2–3 minutes.
It is stiff if eaten as is, so blanching it and then rinsing in cold water turns it bouncy and chewy.
You can think of it as similar to cheongpomuk (mung bean jelly).
Cut the acorn jelly into strips, and cut the aged sour kimchi into bite-sized lengths.
The kimchi was quite sour, so I mixed in 1/2 tsp of sugar to neutralize the acidity.
Thinly julienne the cucumber and finely chop the large green onion.
Place the sliced acorn jelly, kimchi, and cucumber strips into a bowl, then top with the chopped green onion.
Pour in the prepared chilled broth and add the broth ice cubes frozen in the freezer.
Finish by crumbling the seasoned dried seaweed sheets on top and sprinkling toasted sesame seeds lightly over everything.
Ppunwife's tips
- Floating regular ice dilutes the broth as you eat, but freezing some of the chilled broth into cubes and adding those keeps it delicious to the very end.
- If the kimchi is overly sour, mixing in 1/2 tsp of sugar will help neutralize the acidity.
FAQ
Is there a way to make store-bought acorn jelly bouncier?
Blanching it gently in boiling water for 2–3 minutes and rinsing in cold water removes the stiffness and revives its chewy texture.
How can I prevent the chilled broth from getting watered down as the ice melts?
Instead of regular water ice cubes, freeze some of the prepared chilled broth in an ice cube tray and float those so the flavor does not dilute.
What can I substitute if making the chilled broth from scratch is too bothersome?
Instead of mixing the seasoning broth yourself, you can conveniently use store-bought naengmyeon broth.
How do I tone down the sourness if the kimchi is too sour?
Cut the aged sour kimchi into bite-sized pieces and toss gently with 1/2 tsp of sugar to mellow out the acidity.
