20 Korean Soup Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the famous soup in Korea? ›

Manduguk / Mandu-guk (만둣국) is a popular Korean soup particularly on Korean new year's day. Growing up I was taught that, north Koreans make manduguk / Korean dumpling soup while south Koreans make tteokguk / Korean rice cake soup on new year's day morning.

Soups in Korea can be largely categorized into four categories: guk, tang, jjigae and jeongol. The categories are based on the different methods in which the soups are prepared and how they are served and eaten at the table. Guk – The native Korean word for soup.

Gomguk, also called gomtang, refers to either a soup type made by boiling various beef parts such as rib, oxtail, brisket, head, and so forth for a long time, or made with ox bone by the same method. The broth of gomguk tends to have a milky color and to be rich and hearty taste.

Galbitang, a Korean soup made from simmering beef ribs, is the perfect dish if you're suffering from a cold or allergies that have your nose and sinuses clogged up.

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

Miyeok-guk (미역국) (also rendered as miyuk guk) or seaweed soup is a non-spicy Korean soup whose main ingredient is miyeok, or seaweed. It is traditionally eaten as a birthday breakfast in honor of one's mother and by women who have given birth for several months postpartum.

At a macro level, Korean soups can be generally divided into four categories: guk, tang, jjigae and jeongol. Guk refers to brothy soups, where the liquid outweighs the soup's other ingredients, like miyeokguk and dukguk. Usually, guk is served as individual portions.

Soups and stews: Koreans often enjoy soups and stews for breakfast. This might include haejangguk, considered to be a hangover cure, which consists of pork, cabbage, coagulated ox blood, and vegetables in beef broth, or galbitang, which is a thick soup made from short ribs.

The soup we like to have on the side is called dwengjang jigae (된장찌개/soybean soup) which normally consists of soybean paste, radish, zucchini and tofu. The earthiness of the soup matches so well with the zestiness and spiciness of the bibimbap, it's a combo we definitely recommend.

The dish consists of the broth/soup (guk) with thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok). It is tradition to eat tteokguk on New Year's Day because it is believed to grant the people good luck for the year and gain a year of age.

Do Koreans eat soup everyday? ›

Soups are a common part of any Korean meal. Unlike other cultures, in Korean culture, soup is served as part of the main course rather than at the beginning or the end of the meal, as an accompaniment to rice along with other banchan. Soups known as guk are often made with meats, shellfish and vegetables.

A typical Korean meal normally consists of rice, soup and various side dishes. In the case of janggukbap, however, the rice-in-soup dish comes with kimchi or diced radish kimchi, kkakdugi, and chopped green onions. Though simple, janggukbap is cheap and an easy way to prepare a meal for everyone.

Jook (죽), rice porridge: You could compare jook to chicken noodle soup. It's a Korean staple for the sick, especially those with stomachaches. It's made by slow-boiling rice that's been left out to soak in water for many hours.

One of the offbeat delicacies in South Korea, it is also called 'dead body soup' because of its foul odor. Prepared from briefly fermented soybean paste, the soup emits strong ammonia smell but tastes incredibly delicious.

Nowadays, it is common to find chicken, beef, abalone, mushrooms, seafood and many other ingredients in jook! Porridge is the perfect food to eat when you have a stomachache as it replaces liquids lost. Ginseng chicken soup, also known as samgyetang (삼계탕), is made by cooking a small chicken in a broth.

At a macro level, Korean soups can be generally divided into four categories: guk, tang, jjigae and jeongol. Guk refers to brothy soups, where the liquid outweighs the soup's other ingredients, like miyeokguk and dukguk. Usually, guk is served as individual portions.

While these soups will definitely help you stay warm during cold days, soups are an essential part of Korean meals all year round. Some of these dishes are served as a main dish, and some are served to accompany other main dishes as part of a meal.

In Korea, traditional noodle dishes are onmyeon (beef broth-based noodle soup), called guksu jangguk (noodles with a hot clear broth), naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), bibim guksu (cold noodle dish mixed with vegetables), kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), kongguksu (noodles with a cold soybean broth) among others.

Tteokguk (Korean: 떡국) or sliced rice cake soup is a traditional Korean dish eaten during the celebration of the Korean New Year. The dish consists of the broth/soup (guk) with thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok).