Refreshing Microwave Gaji Naengguk (Cold Eggplant Soup)
A chilled summer soup made by pre-seasoning microwave-steamed eggplant and pouring a refreshing cold broth over it.
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 refreshing cold soup dish made without turning on the stove, using the microwave to easily cook the eggplant. Thick eggplant pieces are pre-seasoned with soup soy sauce and minced garlic so they do not taste bland. Adding cucumber and onion provides a crisp texture and extra freshness.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Eggplant2
- Cucumber2/3
- Onion1/2
- Red chili pepper1
Cold soup seasoning
- Bottled water5 cups
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (or soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), fish sauce)2 tbsp
- Vinegar4 tbsp
- Sugar (or green plum syrup (maesil-cheong))3 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- You may omit the red chili pepper.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 2 eggplants, 2/3 cucumber, 1/2 onion, and 1 red chili pepper.
You may omit the red chili pepper.
Slice the ingredients
First, cut the eggplants into 3 crosswise sections, cut each piece into 3, and then slice them into finger-thick strips.
Thinly julienne the cucumber and onion, and remove the seeds from the red chili pepper before finely slicing it.
Cook the eggplant in the microwave
Spread the eggplant onto a wide plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.
Adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness.
Transfer the tender eggplant to a bowl and let the heat cool down.
Pre-season the eggplant
Add 1 tbsp of soup soy sauce and 1 tbsp of minced garlic to the eggplant, and mix well to pre-season.
Unlike cucumber cold soup, eggplant has a thick and fleshy texture, so lightly pre-seasoning it ensures it is flavorful and not bland when you chew it.
Make the cold soup broth
Add 5 cups of bottled water, 2 tbsp of tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek), 4 tbsp of vinegar, 3 tbsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of salt together, mix well, and taste it.
Adjust the amount of sugar and vinegar to your liking. You can also freeze part of the broth in ice cube trays.
If you are adding ice cubes, subtract the weight of the ice from the bottled water when making the broth so it does not get diluted.
I seasoned 4 cups of bottled water, and because 1 cup of water is 200 g, adding 200 g of ice at the end balanced the seasoning perfectly.
Finish the dish
Combine all the ingredients with the prepared cold soup broth, toasted sesame seeds, and ice cubes to finish the cold soup.
Ppunwife's tips
- Unlike cucumber cold soup, eggplant has a thick and fleshy texture, so lightly pre-seasoning it ensures it is flavorful and not bland when you chew it.
- If you are adding ice cubes, subtract the weight of the ice from the bottled water when making the broth so it does not get diluted.
FAQ
Why do you pre-season the eggplant before adding it to the broth?
Eggplant is thick and does not absorb flavors quickly, so pre-seasoning it with soup soy sauce and garlic ensures it does not taste bland when you bite into it.
How can I keep the broth from tasting watered down when serving it with ice?
Reduce the amount of bottled water by the weight of the ice you plan to add so the soup stays perfectly seasoned even as the ice melts.
Can I use something else instead of tuna extract sauce?
You can substitute soup soy sauce or fish sauce for the tuna extract sauce to season the broth.
Is there a way to turn this cold eggplant soup into a noodle dish?
You can boil somyeon (thin wheat noodles) or naengmyeon noodles and serve them in the soup, or stir in a little prepared yellow mustard to enjoy it with a flavor similar to mul-naengmyeon.
