Korean recipes:

Spicy beef and vegetable soup (yukgaejang)

This time I posted spicy beef and vegetable soup (Yuk Gae Jang) on YouTube.

Ingredients:

1 Lb of beef brisket, half an onion, water, 12 green onions, 5 cups of bean sproutsfern brakes (kosari), 1 stalk of  celery, garlic, hotpepper flakessesame oil,  vegetable oil, salt,  soy sauce, and black pepper

  1. In a big pot, add beef brisket, 14-15 cups of water, and half an onion, then boil it for 40-50 minutes over high heat.
  2. Cut the green onions, celery, and fern brakes (kosari) into pieces about 7 cm in length. Put them all into a big bowl.
  3. Put 3 tbs hotpepper flakes, 1 tbs of sesame oil, 1 tbs of vegetable oil, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs of salt, and some grounded black pepper into a small bowl and mix it. This is your hotpepper oil sauce.
  4. Put the hotpepper oil sauce into the vegetables mixture and mix them all up.
  5. When the beef is well cooked, take it out and set it aside to cool down.
  6. Add the mixture of vegetables and hotpepper oil sauce into the boiling beef stock. Boil it for 20-30 minutes.
  7. Slice the beef thinly and add it into the boiling soup. Cook it about 5-10 minutes more.

Serve with rice. Enjoy it!

66 Comments

  1. Deborah says:

    i’ve never seen “pony tail kimchi”. it looks really good. i am addicted to kimchi now. i was wondering though, if you can eat the entire of the pony tail kimchi?

  2. maangchi says:

    Deborah,
    Yes, I eat it all. The green leaves have lots of good nutrients. Some people cut it bite size before eating, but I love to eat leaves and radish part together.

    About 2 or 3 weeks ago, I visited a korean farm that is about 2 hours from Toronto.The farmer grows so many kinds of korean vegetables: cabbages, radish, green onions, korean green-hotpeppers and mustard greens.
    He gave us a garbage bag and said, “I’m going to charge $10.00 for each bag, so fill it out as much as you can!” We pulled radish out from the ground directly. My friends gave me a job to pack the vegetables tightly.

    I was almost sick next day when I woke up due to muscle pain. I must have been too greedy.

  3. lorraine says:

    maangchi

    please teach us how to make Gamjatang. My dad loves it and i want to make it for him

  4. maangchi says:

    Lorraine,
    I will keep your request in mind. Thank you

  5. Goblinlord says:

    Wow… I love your videos. I miss Korean food so much T-T. I lived in Korea for 3 years while in the military and now I am back in the US trying to get a job back in Korea.
    Anyways… I was wondering… although I feel kind of greedy asking for a bunch of recipes. Do you have a good recipe for Buldak and Dakkalbi? I loved the “Hong Cho” Buldak chain. I used to go get Buldak almost every week. I have now been trying to find a recipe that comes close to the same flavor but so far I have failed. Also, Dakkalbi was another favorite of mine.

  6. maangchi says:

    goblinlord,
    You seems to like spicy food.
    Buldak and dakgalbi are made with chicken and hot spicy marinade. ok, I will include ddak galbi in my list of upcoming cooking videos.
    I have never tasted “Buldak” because it was created by someone after I left korea. I should try to taste it someday.

  7. Agasuka says:

    Maangchi,

    Whenever I go to restaurant I always order Yuk Gae Jang.
    I love it even though it burns my tongue, and leaves me a runny nose.

    The kosari I bought has a purplish color which is very different than the brown kosari you use. (I am afriad if my kosari is the wrong kind)

    I forgot to buy bean sprout, so I add more green onions.

    I added Dang Myun and egg at the end like the restaurants do.

    I follow a comment on your Youtube channel to use 20 cups of water, but round up the taste was not strong, so I poured >half cup of soy sauce & 3 teaspoon of salt, and a lot of sesame oil.

    This big pot fed 2 people for 2 days (=2meals) in my house. It warms me up in this cold weather. What a great dish for winter!

    update http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/5k6QGsJ605Q

  8. maangchi says:

    agasuka,
    Wow, it looks gooood!
    Kosari is delicious, right? People usually dry the vegetable to preserve to eat for a long time, so its color is dark brown. Whenever they need to use it, they soak and cook it to make it soft before using. The kosari you bought is fresh one.

  9. rovingbubs says:

    hi maangchi,
    i really like your videos. they’re very easy to follow. when we order yuk gae jang at our local korean hot pot restaurant, they include some clear noodles. is this traditional?

  10. maangchi says:

    rovingbubs,
    Yes, you can add the noodles and eggs. You will be able to see what kind of noodles they are in my Stir-fried noodles with vegetables(Job chae)video.
    And also check it out Agasuka’s comment:
    “I added Dang Myun and egg at the end like the restaurants do.”

  11. rovingbubs says:

    maangchi,

    a few questions:

    what gives the yuk gae jang the smoky flavor?

    can you use the hot pepper paste instead of the hot pepper powder?

    what’s the difference between the hot pepper powder that’s coarse vs fine besides the obvious? i’ve only been able to find the coarse kind in the stores over here.

    thanks.

  12. maangchi says:

    rovingbubs,
    smoky flavor? I think you had “Yuk gae jang” made with “gochoo kierum(hot pepper oil)” which is more traditional way. Heat some oil in a pan and add hot pepper flakes and stir it quickly and turn off the heat before it is burnt. That’s it!
    I just mixed oil and hot pepper flakes instead of making the “gochoo kierum” to save time and effort. Taste is not very different.

    No hot pepper paste for this dish!
    The soup will be thick and not tasty.

    You can use hot pepper flakes, that’s what I am using.

    Thank you!

  13. maangchi says:

    Hi, someone left a comment regarding Yuk Gae Jang. for some reason, I tried to approve her comment, but failed, so I’m copying and pasting her question with my answer.

    “Hi, Maangchi
    I tried cooking Yuk Gae Jang last night but the soup was too blend.
    For the amount of hot pepper sauce you have indicated, how much water should I use? I used only about 250grams of beef. Please kindly advise.
    Thank you! “

    My answer:
    Please check the recipe and watch the video. I said you need 1 pound of beef brisket, but you used 250 grams. 1 pound (LB) is 453 grams.
    Start with 16 cups of water, then you may have to place more water.

    hope it’s helpful

  14. Anonymous says:

    Hello Maangchi,

    Thanks for this recipe. I was wondering if you know how to make gamjatang? I had it in a restaurant the other day and really liked the soup base. the soup was really red and spicy which was pretty good. Is the soup base the same as this soup base?

  15. maangchi says:

    hi, anonymous,
    The soup base for gamjatang is made from pork bones.
    Ok, your request gamjatang is included in the list of my cooking videos in the future.Thank you!

  16. desperatelyseekingsuddenlysusan says:

    i’ve been enjoying your cooking videos. they’re better than most cookbooks because we can see how to cut and prepare the ingredients. thank you!

    i once had toran-guk in korea and the toran tasted like taro. i found out that’s what it is. i think you might be able to find taro in chinese or vietnamese markets.

    i’m very impressed by your knife skills. you chop like a pro!

  17. Maangchi says:

    desperatelyseekingsuddenlysusan
    haha, long id!
    yes, toran is taro and its taste is like potatoes. I found toran in chinese market in Toronto.
    Thank you for your compliment about being ninja in the kitchen. : )

  18. Anonymous says:

    I can’t visit your site anymore because I get so hungry! Stop showing us these delicious recipes …

    But seriously, your site and videos are great. I am glad more people are becoming aware of Korean food. We need to be able to buy Korean food or go to Korean restaurants just as easily as we can find Chinese restaurants in the US.

  19. minhui says:

    Hello Maangchi,
    Do you have any chicken stew recipes? I remember a dak dori tang (?) that had potatoes and spicy braised chicken, or dak galbi, spicy stir-fried chicken, as a child.

    Thanks!

  20. Maangchi says:

    Hi, minhul,
    Yes, dak do ri tang and dak kal bi are already in the list of my upcoming cooking videos. Thanks!

  21. gabieolie says:

    Hi Maanchi,
    I made Yuk Gae Jang today, and it turned out great! I invited my parents for lunch, and they really enjoyed it. My dad even asked me to make more. :) I’m so happy that I was able to make such a delicious dish. Thank you for the recipe.

    My daughter asked me to make your jja jang myun. I hope I succeed. If I don’t find radish, is it OK to substitute with celery? And beef instead of pork? Thank you!!

  22. Maangchi says:

    gabieolie
    beef can replace with pork and skip radish if you can’t find it. I would not use celery.
    Thanks!

  23. Xtine says:

    Hi, Maangchi! I recently ordered Yuk gae jang and enjoyed it. I will try cooking it one of these days using the recipe you provided. I think I will be able to find kosari here in the Philippines.

  24. JooHyun says:

    Hi Maangchi!

    I’ve just recently discovered your site and have been making great korean dishes since!!! I’m Korean but I’m kind of new at cooking Korean Food, and you’ve been so inspirational!!! I love watching your videos and you are too cute!!! One quick question. I LOVE yuk gae jang but I want to make one on my own (I live pretty far away from a decent Korean restaurant). I want to share this with my friend, but unfortunately, he is allergic to soy sauce. Seeing as how this dish only uses 1 TB of soy sauce, do you think the end result would be greatly affected if I were to omit soy sauce from the recipe? Maybe I should add some fish sauce instead? What do you think?

    Thanks and I look forward to more of your videos!!!

  25. Maangchi says:

    JooHyun,
    Don’t worry much about soy sauce. Just skip it and use salt then. Thank you!

  26. Anonymous says:

    hi maangchi!

    i want to make yuk gae jang for a school cultural project i have coming up. we are supposed to make a whole meal, so i was wondering, what other korean dishes would go good with yuk gae jang besides pony-tail kimchi?

    Thank you very much~!

  27. Maangchi says:

    Anonymous,
    I recommend spinach side dish(shigeumchi: 시금치), beansprout side dish (kongnamul: 콩나물) and seaplant salad(miyuk muchim: 미역 무침)
    Check out my recipe for spinach side dish,kimchi stew and bean sprout side dish video, and sea plant soup and sald side dish.

  28. james says:

    I made this tonight but I think I overcooked the vegetables.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/79469156@N00/2903286367/

  29. Maangchi says:

    James,
    It looks ok for me,but I don’t see green onion in the soup. I use lots of green onions in Yukgaejang.

  30. LD says:

    Im making this right now.
    Its a cold winter night in the pacific northwest…snow is expected.
    The house smells wonderful.
    Thank you!

  31. sheila says:

    Hey maangchi, thanks for the recipe for this dish. I made this for my boyfriend when he was sick and I think it really helped him in getting over his cold. The only thing I didn’t have was the kosari, but I think it still tasted good even without it. As you said, this dish is good for those cold days when you just want to warm up inside… thanks again =)

  32. Maangchi says:

    LD,
    I hope your “yukgaejang” turned out good!

    Shila,
    How did you know this soup is good for cold! You are very smart! Yeah, if kosari is not available, skip it then.

  33. klyn says:

    hi,
    ur amazing maangchi!ur so cute and ur voice to.
    i like ur video coz,i can learn more about the
    korean food,thnks to you!!!

  34. Nova says:

    Hi Maangchi :D I looovveeee your recipes! I became inspired to cook korean dish and in fact, I’m gonna buy the ingredients at korean market tomorrow. :) I <3 yukgaejang! oh, and do you have any bosam recipe?

    Thankssss so muchh!

  35. Maangchi says:

    Klyn,
    Thank you very much!

    Nova,
    sure, bossam recipe will be included in the list of my upcoming video recipes. Thanks!

  36. idlehouse says:

    Hi Maangchi, I used your recipe and made a pot just as big as the one in your video! YUM!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/idlehouse2004/3302576650/

  37. Maangchi says:

    idlehouse,
    wow, it looks good! hot and spicy! : )

  38. sarah says:

    wow, maangchi. you are doing a great job. i love love love your website. you are the bomb!

  39. Wing says:

    Hi

    As your recipe, you said we should use hotpepper flakes, but in the video, you said power, which one is right? Since I used flakes to make it, but its too much hotpepper flakes at the end, and I might bougth the wrong one, because it was not spicy! haha!! BTW thanks for your video..it is very good!!!

    THanks

  40. Maangchi says:

    Wing,
    You can use either hot pepper flakes or hot pepper powder. I use hot pepper flakes.

    Your kimchi is not spicy enough? I think you got mild hot pepper flakes” (덜매운고추가루). http://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/hot-pepper-flakes

  41. ahrum says:

    Maangchi~ Thank you so much for your videos. My fiance just made yukgaejang today and it was delicious! My fiance and I spent a year in Korea together and we ate Korean food every day. Yukgaejang is one of our favorites but there are no Korean restaurants in NC. You have brought Korean food into our lives again! :-)

    One thing we noticed was that we think the yukgaejang we had in Korea was a LOT more spicy than your recipe so we just added more gochugaru and soy sauce. Also, we prepared TOO MUCH gosari than needed so we have a whole plastic bag of gosari in our fridge! The dried gosari really expands a lot! We’re going to make bibimbap tonight to use the rest of the gosari.

    Again, we both love your videos and we’ll be making a lot more Korean food because of it. Thank you!

  42. Maangchi says:

    ahrum,
    haha, you added more hot pepper flakes and soy sauce? You did a good job! I always encourage ppl to adjust my recipes to their taste.
    Gosari namul is very delicious, too. Check my bibimbap recipe where I show how to make kosari namul. You will love it. http://www.maangchi.com/recipes/bibimbap

  43. Wing says:

    Hello Maangchi,

    I am in Hawaii, and I went to Korean store in here, I only found 2 kind of hot pepper power. which showed you below.

    Which one should I use it to Yuk Gae Jang? Was I bought the Mild hot or very hot?

    Thanks
    Wing

  44. Wing says:

    here is the pics. I forgot to copy the link in the last comment.

    http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo280/jeffesonm/031409_14091.jpg

  45. Maangchi says:

    Wing,
    Use the one on the right which is hot pepper flakes.

  46. kimbrooklyn says:

    Love your site. My husband loves this soup and I want to make it but I think I tasted a little ginger in the ones at the restaurants. Can I put ginger in this soup? And if so how much? I also have a request, do you have recipes for pickled sides? like pickle, radish or jalepeno in soy sauce brine.

  47. Maangchi says:

    kimbrooklyn,
    if you want, use some ginger, but I don’t like to use ginger because the flavor is too strong for soup. sure, I am going to post korean style pickle recipe someday. (using radish, cucumber, green chili pepper..’

  48. Angela says:

    Hi Maangchi,
    How are you !! I once had a lamb hot pot from a restaurant and it was soooooo delicious. Would you know what it is and maybe show us how it is made ???

    It had stripped lamb meat, lots of sesame leaves, chives, mustard seeds, the soup wasn’t spicy. It seems that this dish is not on the menu from many Sydney restaurants.

    Can’t wait to hear from you.

    Thank you again

  49. Maangchi says:

    Angela,
    hmm, the lamb hot pot dish sounds delicious especially with sesame leaves (perilla leaves)! It must be invented by the owner of the restaurant. Was the meat cooked and stripped? Korean style hot pot (called “shabu shabu”) is usually made with beef sliced thinly.

    Anyway shabu shabu recipe will be posted someday on my websie and YouTube. I’m going to use beef.

  50. Angela says:

    Thanks for your response!
    the Lamb was stripped and cooked, the soup base was a little milk also..

  51. Maangchi says:

    Angela,
    I think the restaurant made the soup base by boiling lamb meat.

  52. ryza says:

    hi,maangchi what is kosari?

  53. elna says:

    Hi Maangchi,
    I love your website =D

    Can i use this broth to act as the broth for the spicy korean shabu shabu?

    I am craving it in Singapore for so long and could not find any restaurants selling shabu shabu here =(

    so, I am cooking it on saturday!! hehe. I am so excited..

  54. ryza says:

    hi,maangchi is it ok if i wiil use pork instead of beef?

  55. Somi Chuhon says:

    I have made your yuk-gae-jung a couple of times now and I’m loving it! It’s my favorite soup, but I’ve always had to rely on my mother or aunts to make some for me. Now I eat it on a regular basis because I can make it myself.

    One person asked about that smokey flavor. My aunt suggested that you can make pull more flavor out by frying the hot pepper flakes and oil mixture first. You have to be really careful not to burn it. But if you catch it JUST as it’s about to turn brown, the flavor changes and has that nice smokey flavor I think you are looking for.

    Anyway, thanks SO MUCH Maangchi for making my life so much more enjoyable! I make it at least once a month now!! YUM!!

  56. fatma says:

    Hi Maangchi,

    Thank you so much for your recipes and also you nice videos. I have a question about soy sauce, because now I live in Japan, may I use Japanese sauce(we called soyu) instead Korean soy sauce? I am worry the taste will be changed. Thank you before.

  57. Charles says:

    Hi Maangchi,
    This all sounds, looks and taste fantastic, However, i have tried and failed a million time to make Kalbi Tan Soup( spelling ???), Do you have any suggestions besides go to a restaurant.

  58. samita says:

    Hi Maangchi,

    What other vegetable can I use if I do not have celery, kosari or Bean sprouts on hand for Yak gae jang ?

    Thanks.

  59. Regina says:

    Hi Maangchi,

    Your website is so amazing!!! I miss my mom’s cooking and can’t go to see her often enough. Your recipes taste just like hers and has inspired me to continue to cook Korean so that I can someday cook it when I have a family! Question… At the Korean market I could only find either wet royal fern, or dried fernbrakes. I bought the dried fernbrakes… is that the same as Kosari? Thank you!

    Regina

    • Maangchi says:

      Yes, it’s kosari! Do you know how to handle dried kosari?
      I’m copying and pasting my answer from my comment section under bibimbap recipe.

      Dried kosari

      1. Place kosari in cold water in a pot. 1 cup of kosari will need
      more than 20 cups of water.

      2. Boil it for 30 minutes and don’t drain hot water and let it soak. Wait about 6-8 hours. I usually boil it at night and drain it next morning.

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