Clean and Light Miyeok Guk (Seaweed Soup)
A clean, light soup made with dried seaweed and rice water, without any meat or seafood.
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 →
This is a clear soup made without meat or seafood to highlight the natural flavor of dried seaweed. Simmering perilla oil-sautéed seaweed gently with rice water and tuna extract sauce gives you a light, refreshing savoriness. Mild and comforting, it makes an easy meal.
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Cook time
- 25 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried seaweed (miyeok)60 g
- Water from washing rice10 cups
- Perilla oil (or toasted sesame oil)3 tbsp
Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)2 tbsp
- Salta little
- Instead of wild rock seaweed, you can use regular bagged dried seaweed from the store.
- Pour in plenty of cold water and soak for about 30 minutes until the seaweed softens.
- Wild rock seaweed has a lot of debris on its surface, so rub it firmly with your hands and rinse several times until no debris settles at the bottom; for bagged seaweed, rinse lightly and drain.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
This is wild rock seaweed.
You can also use bagged dried seaweed sold at the market.
Clean the rock seaweed
Pour in plenty of cold water and soak for about 30 minutes until the dried seaweed softens.
Natural wild rock seaweed has a lot of debris like small stones and other seaweeds attached to the surface, so you need to rinse it while scrubbing firmly with your hands.
Rinse multiple times until no debris appears at the bottom.
For bagged dried seaweed, just rinse lightly after soaking and drain.
Drain the water and cut into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears.
Simmer the seaweed soup
Heat perilla oil in a pan, add the dried seaweed, and stir-fry thoroughly.
While stir-frying, add 2 tbsp of soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang). If you stir-fry the seaweed for more than 5 minutes, the broth will turn thick and rich; if you prefer a clean broth, sauté lightly for about 2 to 3 minutes before adding water.
I do not add garlic to miyeok guk, but if you want to add garlic, you can add it while stir-frying the seaweed.
Add 10 cups of water from washing rice and 2 tbsp of tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek), then simmer gently for at least 20 minutes.
Taste at the end, adjust with salt if it is bland, and finish with a little perilla seed powder or ground black pepper if you like.
Finish
Rock seaweed maintains a great texture without turning mushy even when simmered for a long time.
It is tender yet pleasantly chewy, so it stays delicious even when you make a large batch to eat over time.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you stir-fry the seaweed for more than 5 minutes, the broth will turn thick and rich; if you prefer a clean broth, sauté lightly for about 2 to 3 minutes before adding water.
- If you want to add garlic, add it while stir-frying the seaweed.
- Taste at the end, adjust with salt if it is bland, and finish with a little perilla seed powder or ground black pepper if you like.
FAQ
Can I use regular bagged dried seaweed instead of wild rock seaweed?
Yes, you can use commercially sold bagged dried seaweed. For bagged seaweed, simply soak it in cold water, rinse lightly, and squeeze out the water.
If I do not have perilla oil, can I substitute toasted sesame oil?
It can also be made with toasted sesame oil, so you can freely substitute it to stir-fry.
Is there a stir-frying trick to make the broth richer or cleaner?
Stir-frying the seaweed thoroughly for more than 5 minutes yields a thick and rich broth, while lightly sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes before pouring in the water makes it clear and clean.
When is the best time to add garlic if I want to include it?
You can add the garlic and stir-fry it together when you sauté the seaweed in the pan.
