Miyeok-guk 미역국

| By: JaeHee Kwak |

Miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) is a staple in Korean cuisine. It has brown seaweed and some form of protein, making this dish very nutritious and low-calorie. It is traditionally served to mothers postpartum, or to children on their birthdays. There are many variations to this simple dish, but the one I made has beef, which is the most common form of protein for this soup.

Ingredients

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep time & Cooking time: ~50 minutes

• 2 ounces of dried brown seaweed

• 150 grams of beef top sirloin or round steak

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

• 6 cups water

Cooking Instructions

1. Soak the dried seaweed in cold water until seaweed expands (usually takes about 10 minutes). Drain the water and rinse the seaweed in running water for about a minute. Set aside the seaweed for now.

2. Boil water in a pot and place the entire steak (uncut) into the water. Let it boil for about 20 minutes. Take the beef out and put the seaweed into the pot (leave the water boiling, as this is the base of the soup).

3. Slice the beef into small squares. Put the beef squares back into the pot.

4. Add sesame oil and soy sauce to taste (feel free to add more or less depending on your preferred taste).

5. Partly cover the pot and let the soup simmer at medium or medium-high heat for about 20 minutes.

6. Adjust the taste with more soy sauce if needed.

7. Serve warm with a bowl of rice and other Korean side dishes. Enjoy!

Notes

• For step #2, you can also first cut the raw beef, and then add it to the soup if you have beef stock, but I prefer to cook the beef first, cut it, and then add it back in. I do this because I don’t have beef stock, so boiling the beef first creates an umami soup base.

• Instead of beef, some people use seafood, such as mussels, prawns, canned tuna, etc. Some also add salt, while others only use soy sauce for taste. Some add garlic. I think miyeok-guk has greater symbolic significance as a personal dish rather than as a traditional dish, as this soup is a homage to our mothers and every mother is different. Thus, there are many variations to this very simple dish. It’s all about catering to your own taste. After all, this dish is made to celebrate your birthday!

• In addition to soy sauce, some people add salt. But since the sodium content of seaweed is relatively high already, it’s healthier to just stick to soy sauce, as it is savory and provides saltiness.