Hearty Janchi Guksu (Banquet Noodles in Broth)
A bowl of janchi guksu featuring a rich anchovy broth topped with sauteed squash and kimchi.
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 →
Toasting dried soup anchovies in a dry pot removes any fishiness, and simmering them with vegetables for over 20 minutes creates a deep anchovy broth that is the heart of this dish. Topped with sweet sauteed squash, aged sour kimchi, and egg garnish, it makes a wonderfully hearty meal. Serve it with a spicy seasoned sauce for a satisfying one-bowl meal without needing side dishes.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 24 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Thin wheat noodles (somyeon)200 g
- Dried soup anchovies20
- Onion1/2
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2
- Dried kelp (dasima)2 sheets (10 cm square)
- Round Korean zucchini1/3, 80 g
- Kimchi1/2 cup
- Egg1
- Seasoned dried seaweed sheets
- Water8 cups
Seasoning sauce
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Minced green onion1 tbsp
- Sugar1/2 tsp
- Minced chili pepper1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil
- Ground toasted sesame seeds
- Depending on your preference, you can also prepare and saute carrots, mushrooms, or onions.
- If using broth tablets instead of making anchovy broth from scratch, add about 1 more tablet than usual to make it extra rich.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
The anchovy broth for janchi guksu tastes best when you add extra aromatic ingredients to give it deep, rich flavor.
Use about 20 large dried soup anchovies, 2 sheets of dried kelp (dasima), 1/2 onion, and 1/2 stalk of large green onion (daepa).
For the toppings, prepare 1/3 round Korean zucchini, 1/2 cup finely chopped aged sour kimchi, seasoned dried seaweed sheets, and 1 beaten egg.
Depending on your preference, you can also prepare and saute carrots, mushrooms, or onions.
Make the anchovy broth
For a clean-tasting broth, it helps to remove the fishy aroma of the anchovies first: toast them in a dry pot with no oil until crisp and slightly golden.
Pour in 8 cups of water, add all the broth ingredients, and when it starts boiling over high heat, skim off any foam thoroughly.
Lower the heat and simmer gently for over 20 minutes. Boiling it down this way yields about 5 to 6 cups, which is enough for 2 servings.
If using broth tablets instead of making anchovy broth from scratch, add about 1 more tablet than usual to make it extra rich.
If you want to enjoy it without seasoned sauce, you can season the broth directly with tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) and soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) until savory.
Make the toppings and seasoned sauce
Julienne the squash not too thinly, add about two pinches of salt, and saute it.
Add a little oil and stir-fry the kimchi as well.
If the kimchi is very sour, add a little sugar and saute it while keeping some crisp texture.
Fry the egg into a thin sheet and julienne it finely.
Seasoned sauce and boiling noodles
Mix all the seasoned sauce ingredients together.
Boil the thin wheat noodles (somyeon) according to the package directions, rinse them several times in cold water, and drain well.
I boiled mine in boiling water for 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Finish
Place the noodles in a bowl, pour over the anchovy broth, arrange the toppings evenly, sprinkle with shredded seaweed, and finish with freshly ground toasted sesame seeds.
When kimchi is included in janchi guksu, it goes down so easily without needing extra side dishes.
You can also just finely chop it and put it on top fresh without sauteing.
Add the seasoned sauce to adjust the seasoning and slurp it right up.
The care of making egg strips to balance the nutrition...
This one bowl warms and satisfies both body and soul.
When you want a warm, comforting bowl of soup, janchi guksu is the answer.
Ppunwife's tips
- For a clean-tasting broth, it helps to remove the fishy aroma of the anchovies first: toast them in a dry pot with no oil until crisp and slightly golden.
- If you want to enjoy it without seasoned sauce, you can season the broth directly with tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) and soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) until savory.
- If the kimchi is very sour, add a little sugar and saute it while keeping some crisp texture.
- Kimchi is also delicious just finely chopped and placed on top fresh without sauteing.
FAQ
Is there a way to reduce fishiness when making anchovy broth?
Toasting the anchovies in a dry pot with no oil until crisp and slightly golden before pouring in the water and boiling will eliminate the fishy odor.
Can I use store-bought broth tablets instead of simmering dried anchovies?
You can use broth tablets instead of making anchovy broth from scratch; just add about 1 more tablet than your usual amount to get a rich flavor.
How can I season the noodles without making a separate seasoned sauce?
You can season the broth itself with soup soy sauce and tuna extract sauce until savory, and it will taste delicious even without a separate sauce.
Does the kimchi used as a topping have to be sauteed?
Sauteing it in oil is great, but simply chopping it finely and placing it on fresh also pairs wonderfully with the noodles.
