콩나물국 — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A clean, soothing soup of plump soybean sprouts simmered in anchovy broth with garlic and green onion — Korea's favorite everyday soup and legendary hangover cure.

Ingredients

400g soybean sprouts
600ml anchovy-kelp broth or water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp gochugaru (optional)
Sesame seeds

Instructions

1 Rinse soybean sprouts thoroughly and trim any brown tails.
2 Place sprouts in a pot and pour broth or water over them. Add garlic and salt.
3 Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil. Important: do not lift the lid during cooking, as this prevents the raw bean smell from developing.
4 Boil covered for 10-12 minutes until sprouts are tender but still have a slight crunch.
5 Remove lid, add green onion, sesame oil, and gochugaru if desired.
6 Serve hot as a side soup with rice. The broth should be clean and refreshing.

Did You Know?

Jeonju-style kongnamul-gukbap (sprout soup with rice) is considered Korea's greatest hangover cure, and specialized restaurants serve it 24 hours to accommodate late-night revelers.